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ADVENTURES OF A CASKET, 



“ At the same instant the planks, logs, and carts of 
the barricade flew in every direction.” 


THE 


ADVENTURES of A CASKET. 


AN EPISODE 


OF THE 

INVASION OF 1814. 


TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH OF 



THEOPHILE^ENARD. 






% 



• • 



New-York, Cincinnati, and St. Louis: 

BENZIGER BROTHERS, 

PKINTERS TO THE HOLY APOSTOLIC SEE. 



/ 














Copyright, 1876, by Benziger Bros. 


A. 




CONTENTS. 


Introduction 7 

Chapter I, 

The Invasion 22 

Chapter II. 

A Skirmish — The Casket and the Hiding-Place 37 

Chapter III. 

The Entrance of the Austrians 57 

Chapter IV. 

A Dinner with the Austrian Officers 75 

Chapter V. 

The Descendants of the Esterhazys 97 

Chapter VI. 

Arrival of Monsieur Di6try 113 

Chapter VII. 

Correspondence — The Return of the Austrians — A Visit to 
the College Barracks — The Hiding-Place 126 

Chapter VHI. 

The Austrian Commissary — The Schlague — Organized Pil- 
lage — News of the War i 45 

Chapter IX. 

The Departure of the Austrians — Peace — Opening of the 
Hiding-Place — What God guards is well guarded 162 


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INTRODUCTION. 


Toward the close of October, 185- at 
about half-past four in the morning, I arrived 
at the depot of the^Orleans Railroad, on my 
return from a voyage of several months in the 
south-west of France. The train was a long 
one, as is usual at that time of the year. The 
approach of the bad season and the reopening 
of the courts and schools had brought back 
to Paris the crowd of people who had left it 
to enjoy the delights of a sojourn in the coun- 
try, . or the leisure of their vacation. In an 
instant, the depot was filled with an army of 
travelers, of every age and sex, and in every 
variety of costume, each hastening to find his 
own luggage, to have it passed by the custom- 
house officers, and to get home. 

Notwithstanding the active vigilance of the 
police, and of the employees of the railroad 
and of the custom-house, it is very difficult, in 


V 


8 


INTRODUCTION. 


the midst of so much disorder, to prevent an 
occasional theft or at least a mistake. 

It was to the latter that I happened to fall a 
victim, but, as the reader will find, if he will 
take the trouble to read this true story to the 
end, I had little reason to complain. 

Two trunks, some boxes containing articles 
which I had bought at Bayonne, and a little 
bag — in all eight pieces — composed my travel- 
ing equipage. After the formalities of cus- 
tom-house inspection, I h^ arranged my pack- 
ages on the table or counter which extends 
the whole length of the room, waiting to have 
them removed. On either side were bundles, 
trunks, and boxes of every shape and size, 
belonging to two families, one of which — 
that on the right — was composed of a ven- 
erable old man, with hair white as snow, 
who, in his features and manners, showed 
marks of distinction which belong only to 
well-bred persons — -of his wife, who appeared 
almost as old as himself, but whose face 
I could not see, as it was hidden by a black 
vail and by the fur trimming of her pelisse, 
and of two lads of fourteen or fifteen years 
of age, in the uniform of students, and who 
were probably the grandchildren of the two 


INTRODUCTION. 


9 


elderly people whom I have just mention- 
ed. The other family, the one on the left, 
was Spanish, and seemed to me to consist 
of five or six persons ; but I paid little atten- 
tion to it, so much was I attracted by the first 
one, or rather by the fine old gentleman who 
appeared to be its head. 

I was waiting, while making my observa- 
tions, for the return of a messenger whom 
I had sent for a carriage. He returned at 
length, and at the same moment a servant in 
livery, with hat in hand, advanced toward my 
neighbors on the right, and announced to 
them the arrival of their carriage. 

“It is well,” said the old gentleman, offer- 
ing his arm to his companion and moving 
toward the door. “We will go home at once, 
and you, Joseph, will take care to have all our 
luggage placed in a hack and will follow us. 
Get a porter to help you, if you need one.” 

The man whom I had employed, and who 
had already commenced to load my baggage 
upon his wheelbarrow, hearing this last re- 
mark, said to Joseph, “ If you wish, I will help 
you, for I can take all this luggage at a single 
load.” Joseph consented, and my porter has- 
tened to load up my trunks and boxes upon his 


lO 


INTRODUCTION. 


barrow. I superintended this operation with 
but little attention, or, rather, not suspect- 
ing an error possible. I was amusing myself 
by observing what was going on around me, 
and by noting the confusion caused by the 
numberless persons who were all speaking 
at once. At last, my man wheeled 'along 
his barrow, and a few steps brought us to 
the carriage which was waiting for me. I 
looked on at the operation of loading up my 
effects, some of which were placed upon the 
box of the carriage and some inside. I count- 
ed my eight packages, but the darkness did 
not permit me to verify their identity, and 
threw myself into the carriage, being in a 
hurry to reach home and get to bed, to make 
up for the sleepless nights and the fatigue of 
a journey of over five hundred miles of con- 
tinuous traveling by rail. 

It was near six o’clock in the morning 
when the carriage stopped in front of the door 
of my house. It was still dark. The porter, 
whom I had hard work to rouse, helped the 
coachman to unload my packages, and to carry 
them into the house. During this operation, I 
had reached my bedroom, so overcome with 
fatigue that I was content to call out to the 


INTRODUCTION. 


1 1 

porter, “ Are you sure you have brought in 
every thing 

“Yes, sir; there are two trunks, one travel- 
ing-bag, four boxes, and a little case — in all, 
eight articles.” 

“ That is right. Now, shut my door and 
call me at noon.” And I went to bed, and 
was soon sleeping soundly. 

I was still sleeping when the porter, faithful 
to his orders, came to call me. My first care, 
after dressing, was to put in order the things 
that I had brought back from my journey, and 
I then perceived that there was missing a little 
box in which I had packed some linen, seve- 
ral volumes, and some manuscripts relating to 
the Basque language, which I had purchased 
at Bayonne ; for during my sojourn in the 
lower Pyrenees, I had made an especial study 
of this dialect. I regretted losing these cu- 
rious works, especially a Basque grammar, an 
extremely rare work, only one copy of which 
had I been able to find in Bayonne. 

In the place of the little box which contain- 
ed my books, I found a casket, or little case, 
about the same size as mine, but a great deal 
older, and, above all, much dirtier. It was 
made of oak, of rough workmanship ; the top 


2 


INTRODUCTION 


quite thick ; on one of the corners, and in two 
or three other places, the case was charred, 
and showed signs of having been exposed to 
fire. 

The sight of this box made me regret the 
loss of my own, which it could hardly make 
good ; but how was I to find an owner for it ? 
Did it belong to the family of the old gentle- 
man who was on my right, or to the Spaniards 
who were on my left ? Its filthy appearance 
and battered condition led me to suppose that 
it belonged to thejatter — the more so, be- 
cause I had seen nothing among the baggage 
of the first except some leather trunks, valises 
and boxes, all very nice, whilst I had observed 
among that of the Spaniards some wooden 
trunks, covered with worn or torn leather. 
I lifted it up by the iron handle on the cover, 
and placed it on my table. I noticed that 
it was very heavy for its size, and said, 
laughingly, “ Perhaps I have got hold of the 
strong-box of these Spaniards, and it may 
be filled with dollars.” Then I looked for 
a name or an address of any kind, but I found 
nothing but the numbers pasted by the differ- 
ent railroad-lines on the baggage of their pas- 
sengers. Of these there were many, one on 


INTRODUCTION. 


13 


top of the other— an indication that the little 
box was a great traveler ; but they gave me no 
clue, especially as the top one had been partly 
rubbed off, and it was impossible to read the 
name of the place where it had been affixed. 

At length, in turning it over, I perceived a 
key attached to a cord tied about the box, 
which helped to secure the top in addition to 
the lock. I untied the cord, and opened the 
casket, in the hope of finding inside what I had 
failed to do outside. A thick layer of scraps of 
paper, put in to fill up, was on the top. I 
removed these, and found a pretty little rose- 
wood box, inlaid with mother-of-pearl and sil- 
ver. On a silver plate were engraved the 
letters A. and V., with the coronet of a baron 
on top, and the motto engraved around it, 
“ What God guards is well guarded.” This 
box was a real masterpiece. Its length was of 
the exact width of the little chest, of which it 
filled about half. In the rest of the casket 
were eighteen silver plates, with spoons and 
forks, bearing the same coronet and the same 
device, and under these a dozen knives, with 
silver handles, in a shagreen box, divided into 
twelve compartments. Another box, or case, 
contained a dozen coffee-spoons, silver gilt, 


14 


INTRODUCTION. 


sugar-tongs, glass salt-cellars set in silver and 
porcelain figures, wrapped in wadding. 

After having completed this inventory, I 
could nqt help exclaiming, “ Well, I may as well 
conclude that I have found my Basque gram- 
mar.” For although I had discovered neither 
name nor address, I thought that whoever 
might own these articles would hardly fail to 
reclaim them, and hasten to bring back my 
box to exchange for their own. To facili- 
tate their researches, I hastened to the police- 
office to make known what had happened to 
me, and at the same time to advertise the mat- 
ter in the newspapers. 

I had not deceived myself. The next day, 
about five o’clock in the afternoon, my porter 
announced to me the visit of Le Baron de 
Villette, and at the same moment I saw coming 
into my room the white-haired old gentleman 
whose appearance had so struck me at the 
railroad-station. He had under his arm my lit- 
tle box, and as soon as we had exchanged salu- 
tations, he held it out to me, saying, “ I have 
come, sir, to restore to you what is yours, and 
to reclaim from you what you have been good 
enough to take care of for me.” 

“ I beg a thousand pardons, sir,” said I, 


INTRODUCTION. 


15 


“ for having been the involuntary cause of the 
mistake which has put you to this trouble, 
and which I would have spared you had I 
known your address, by hastening to return 
you your casket so heedlessly taken for my 
own.” 

“ It is no fault of yours, sir; the mistake 
which has occurred could easily have been 
made by your messenger. He did not know 
the articles which belonged to you ; but 
Joseph, my old Joseph, who has served me 
for more than twenty-five years, who knows all 
that belongs to me, and particularly this casket, 
did not observe it, and my wife was the first to 
notice the absence of the box, which she sets 
great store by.” 

“ I believe it,” said I, “ for it contains ob- 
jects of great value, and I am astonished that 
you abandoned them, as it were, in a box 
of doubtful strength, and, moreover, with the 
key to facilitate its being opened.” 

“ Your remark is very natural,” said the Bar- 
on, smiling, “ but you do not know what a su- 
perstitious confidence my wife and I attach to 
this box, the intrinsic value of which is nothing. 
So when I told you my wife set great store by 
it, you thought that it was in consequence of 


i6 


INTRODUCTION. 


what it contained ; but she would willingly 
have sacrificed all the silver which was in it, 
even the pretty rosewood box, which you must 
have noticed, and which is a present from her 
daughter, to get back her casket alone, all 
empty, her dear casket, which she calls her 
luck-bearer.” 

I declare, sir, you astonish me.” 

“ I should astonish you still more if I were 
to tell you the history of this casket, for it is a 
history ; but it might not interest you, and I do 
not wish to occupy your time. I will therefore 
take my leave of you. Permit me, however, to 
make a request of you on the part of my wife. 
She charged me to urge you to do us the honor 
to come and dine with us sociably on Sunday 
next, that she may give you evidence in her own 
words of her gratitude.” 

“ Really, sir, I am confused with your kind- 
ness and that of madame. I have done noth- 
ing but fulfill the commonest duty of an honest 
man, in returning to you these valuables which 
chance placed in my hands.” 

“ I see you do not yet understand me. It is 
not for returning these valuables of which you 
speak that she wishes to thank you ; it is for hav- 
ing restored to her her precious casket, which is 


INTRODUCTION. 


for her a talisman which she holds in inesti- 
mable value; and just as I was leaving home to 
come here, she said to me besides, ‘You will 
find that my casket will bring us the acquaint- 
ance of a charming man, for this is a way it 
has of making amends for the discomforts it 
causes us.’ You would not wish, I am sure, to 
disappoint my wife in this presentiment.” 

“ Really, sir, you are so engaging that it is 
impossible to refuse you.” 

That is all right then,” said he, rising, 
until Sunday.” 

He gave me his address, handed the casket 
to his servant J oseph, who had followed him, and 
took his leave. 

The day after the visit of M. de Villette, 
I made some inquiries about him. I learned 
then that Monsieur le Baron de Villette had 
for more than thirty years performed the du- 
ties of receiver-general of taxes in two or 
three of our richest departments ; that he had 
retired several years since, after having obtained 
for his son-in-law the position which he had last 
occupied ; that he lived quite simply, although 
possessed of a large fortune ; but that instead 
of employing his superfluity in luxurious expen- 
ditures or costly fancies, he used it in good works. 


8 


INTRODUCTION. 


This information only increased the wish I had 
to cultivate the acquaintance so singularly be- 
gun, not to mention the desire, no less ardent, 
of learning the story of that mysterious casket. 
In this frame of mind, I arrived on the day ap- 
pointed at Monsieur de Villette’s. I met with 
a most gracious reception both from the master 
and the mistress of the house. I will not re- 
peat here the flattering things that were said to 
me by Madame de Villette, at whose right I was 
placed at table. It was, as the baron had told 
me, a family dinner. There were present the 
two young students whom I had remarked at 
the depot, who were the grandsons of the baron 
and madame ; a lady of uncertain age, with a 
provincial accent of the most striking kind, 
who constantly called Madame de Villette, “ my 
cousin,” and the son of this lady, a young man 
of nineteen or twenty years of age, who had 
come to Paris to study law, and whom his 
mother had desired to accompany, to protect him 
from the dangers of the capital. 

After dinner, we passed into the drawing- 
room, which was richly furnished, where coffee 
was served. On entering, I had glanced hastily 
upon the magnificent furniture which adorned 
this room, and had examined fora few moments 


INTRODUCTION. 


19 


some masterpieces of painting which attract- 
ed my attention, when suddenly my eyes fell 
upon a beautiful console of the style of Louis 
XV., on which was a piece of buhl-work 
of the most exquisite description, and upon an- 
other console, which matched it, was majestical- 
ly displayed the famous oak box by means of 
which I had made the acquaintance of Monsieur 
de Villette. At the sight of it, I could not help 
giving expression to my astonishment. The 
baron noticed it, and drawing near, said to me, 
“ I see what causes your surprise : you did not 
expect to find in a salon a piece of ftirniture 
which to all appearance should be consigned to 
a garret. But you know what I have told you 
about my wife’s attachment for the ugly box, 
which she would not exchange for the most 
beautiful production of Boule or of Tahan.” 

“ Certainly,” replied the baroness, who had 
heard these last words of her husband, “ I prefer 
it to any of the creations of the most skillful 
artists in cabinet- ware or inlaid work ; but, my 
dear, you ought to explain to Monsieur the 
reason of this preference, otherwise he will 
think I am a woman without taste, incapable 
of appreciating those masterpieces which are 
very justly the admiration of everybody.” 


20 


INTRODUCTION. 


“ Madame,” said I, “ I do not need the ex- 
planation which you desire your husband to 
make, to be convinced that you know how to 
appreciate at their full value all these works of 
art ; but I must confess that I am not the less 
curious on that account to learn the reason 
which makes you esteem so highly an object 
apparently so unworthy of it, persuaded that 
there must be something in this preference far 
more interesting than a mere matter of taste or 
of caprice.” 

“ There, now, my dear, you will surely have 
to justify the good opinion which Monsieur has 
expressed.” 

“ I should like nothing better ; but the story 
is rather a long one, and may prove tiresome 
before I get through.” 

“ I assure you, in advance, that it will inter- 
est me very much, and that if I had not feared 
it might be indiscreet, I should have begged you 
myself to tell it to me.” 

“ Oh ! yes, grandpapa !” criea the two students, 
in their turn, “ do tell us the story of this box 
of grandma’s. We have heard something of it 
from time to time, but we have never heard the 
whole of it from beginning to end.” 

“ And I, too, my cousin,” said the country 


INTRODUCTION. 


21 


lady, “should very much like to hear this his- 
tory about which my late husband has frequent- 
ly spoken to me.” 

“Come then,” said Monsieur de Villette ; 
“since you all wish it, I consent.” 

And in a moment, we were seated in a 
semicircle around the fireplace, and Monsieur 
de Villette began : 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET: 

AN EPISODE OF THE INVASION OF 1814. 


Chapter I. 

THE INVASION. 

In 1813, I was employed as head clerk in 
the office of the special receiver of taxes, in the 
district of Baume-les-Dames, in the department 
of Doubs. Owing to the fact that I was the 
only son of a widow, I was exempt from mili- 
tary service, and was enabled to continue in 
the career for which my parents had destined 
me — a very great advantage at that time, when 
the conscription was claiming all the young 
men capable of bearing arms from the time 
they were eighteen years of age. My patron, 
Monsieur Dietry, was very intimate with my 
father, to whom he was under many obliga- 
tions, and on this account he was willing to re- 
ceive me into his office, to initiate me in the 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 23 

business, and to assist me with his experience 
on my entry into my new career. Madame 
Dietry, who had also known my mother, was 
very good to me, so that I was looked upon 
rather as a member of the family than as a 
simple clerk. 

On Sundays, we were in the habit of tak- 
ing long walks in the neighborhood, which 
possessed many attractive and picturesque 
spots, and we sometimes went to fish or to 
hunt, according to the season. My life was 
a very agreeable one, until it was broken in 
upon by the troubles which were then agitating 
the whole of Europe, and especially France. 

The year 1813 will be remembered as full 
of disasters for France. At that age, I paid 
very little attention to politics, but how could 
I fail to become interested in matters which 
concerned me so closely ? My childhood and 
my youth had been passed at school during 
the period of Napoleon’s victories. I had 
a blind faith in him, and considered his 
power as beyond the reach of danger. The 
deplorable retreat from Moscow had not sha- 
ken my confidence, and when, in the begin- 
ning of 1813, he had created a new army, and 
with his conscripts had gained the victories 


24 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


of Lutzen and Bautzen, and, later, that of 
Dresden, I thought that he was going to re- 
gain, with more strength than ever, his ascen- 
dency over Europe. 

And this would perhaps have been realized, 
but for the successive defeats of his lieutenants, 
which forced him to fall back, in order not to 
be surrounded on all sides. This retrograde 
movement determined the princes of the Con- 
federation of the Rhine to desert the Empire ; 
and to render their defection more disastrous 
to the cause of Napoleon, they put it into ex- 
ecution during the great engagement which 
was taking place under the walls of Leipsic. 
Napoleon, after a struggle of three days, was 
forced to retreat, and his army, in considerable 
confusion, fell back on to the Rhine. The Ba- 
varians wished to oppose his crossing, but they 
were crushed at Hanau, and the French army 
re-entered the territory of the Empire on the 
30th of October, 1813. 

Illusion was no longer possible. The end 
of this campaign had been more disastrous 
than the one which preceded it — the retreat 
from Moscow. France was threatened within 
her own borders, and it was evident that the 
allied armies were preparing to invade her 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


25 


territory. Their intentions were soon ren- 
dered manifest by the famous declaration of 
Frankfort, a piece of Machiavelian diplomacy, 
in which the Emperor was set up as the only 
cause of the European wars, and in which 
France was loaded with testimonies of admira- 
tion and respect, which were all to be set at 
naught the next year. This proclamation, I 
know not how, was profusely scattered through- 
out the country, notwithstanding the vigilance 
of the authorities and of the Imperial police. 
It shook the power of Napoleon more than 
twent}^ defeats. It sowed upon the soil of 
France the germ of those political divisions 
which were soon to bear fruit and carry dis- 
couragement into the hearts of many of those 
who knew not how to separate the cause of the 
Emperor from that of the country. 

The sub-prefect, the Imperial Procurator, 
the Mayor of the city, and some of the principal 
inhabitants, were in the habit of meeting at 
the house of M. Die try, where they read the 
newspapers and the private letters which they 
had received. Each one brought his own 
'news, which was communicated to the others 
in whispers. The allies, nevertheless, did not 
cross the Rhine immediately after their procla- 


26 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


mation. They seemed to shrink from attempt- 
ing an enterprise of such audacity. This re- 
spite restored somewhat our hopes. Some of 
the optimists of our society assured us that the 
enemy never had any intention of invading 
France ; that they would be satisfied with hav- 
ing made the threat, and that they would await, 
with arms in their hands, upon the right bank 
of the Rhine, the result of the negotiations 
v/hich were about to be considered in the 
Congress assembled at Manheim. 

Others, less confident, thought that the 
allies would enter France through Holland, 
Belgium, and the provinces of the Rhine 
which had been united to the Empire since 
the revolution, and that they would not make 
peace until France should have been reduced 
to her ancient limits ; but in any event, they 
were persuaded that we had iiothing to fear for 
that part of the country which we inhabited, as 
the neutrality of Switzerland guaranteed us 
from any invasion of that part of our eastern 
frontier. 

The whole month of November and a part of 
December were passed in this state of anxiety, 
alternating between hope and fear. But all of 
a sudden, an unexpected report dispelled our 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 2/ 

doubts and dissipated all our illusions. The 
allied armies were invading France at every 
point. The neutrality of Switzerland, upon 
which we reckoned, had been violated, and an 
army of one hundred and fifty thousand men, 
under the orders of General Schwartzemberg, 
had crossed the Rhine from Basle to Schaffi 
hausen, advancing across the Swiss cantons 
along the frontier of France, and threatening 
to rush like an avalanche from the heights 
of Jura upon the plains watered by the Doubs 
and the Soane. 

A general panic followed. All business 
was suspended, every association was broken 
up, people gathered together in groups in 
the streets, anxiously inquiring the news, even 
from perfect strangers, and reports were not 
wanting, both true and false, and exaggerated 
and distorted, either by the fears or the imagina- 
tion of the narrators. On every side, the question 
was constantly repeated, “ What are we to do — 
what is to become of us ?” for at every instant, 
the future, the immediate future seemed to as- 
sume an aspect more and more threatening. 
When the public vehicles or private travelers 
reached us from Belfort or Besangon, they were 
surrounded and overpowered with questions. 


28 


THE ADVENTURES OE A CASKET. 


their answers only serving to redouble the 
general inquietude. The enemy, according to 
one, was laying siege to Theningen, and was 
advancing upon Belfort ; according to another, 
the report of their guns had been heard in the 
direction of Altkirch, while others announced 
that he had crossed the Jura near to Pontarlier, 
had seized that town, and was preparing to 
march upon Besangon by way of Ornans. The 
operations of the authorities only served to con- 
firm these sorrowful rumors. A decree of the 
Senate had commanded an extraordinary levy 
of three hundred thousand men. Active mea- 
sures were taken to hasten the departure of 
the new conscripts, who were slow in answering 
the call. Requisitions for rations and forage 
were made for provisioning Besangon, the only 
fortified place in our neighborhood. The con- 
stabulary received orders to assemble in the 
chief town of the department, and their depar- 
ture suspended both the requisitions and the call 
for conscripts, but left the country at the mercy 
of malefactors and vagabonds, who are always 
ready to take advantage of such critical times 
and of public misfortunes to rise up and carry 
on with impunity their dangerous enterprises. 
At length, Monsieur Dietry received orders to 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


29 


transfer to the receiver-general his cash and 
all the registers and papers of his bureau ; his 
departure was to take place with that of the 
constabulary by which he was to be escorted. 

His first thought was to take with him his 
wife and his niece, a young girl of twelve or 
thirteen years of age, whom beloved as his own 
child, and to remain at Besan^on until matters 
should take a different turn. As to myself, I 
was to rejoin my mother, who lived at Orleans ; 
but Madame Dietry did not like the idea of 
being shut up in a warlike city, and to be ex- 
posed to all the horrors of a siege. We all 
knew the determination of General Manulaz, 
who commanded that place, as he had given 
out that he would be buried beneath its ruins 
sooner than surrender it. Monsieur Dietry 
concluded to follow the determination of his 
wife, and it was agreed that he would return 
immediately after having handed in his ac- 
counts to the receiver-general, and that then 
they would take counsel as to the course they 
would adopt. In the mean time, I was to re- 
main with Madame Dietry, who could not be 
left alone with a little girl and a serving-woman 
during the absence of her husband. 

It being no longer doubtful that soon, in a 


30 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


few days perhaps, we would be invaded, every 
one was thinking of the means to secure from 
the foreign soldiery whatever they had of value. 
Some, reassured by the proclamation of the 
allied sovereigns, maintained that such precau- 
tions were useless or worse ; others — and this 
was the advice of the military men — considered 
all precaution as useless, but from a very dif- 
ferent reason. Soldiers, they said, knew how to 
find out the most secret hiding-places ; and if 
the town was given up to pillage, it would be 
impossible to hide any thing from their avidity. 
In the midst of these contradictory opinions, 
Madame Dietry was in great perplexity. She 
had many precious things and objects of con- 
siderable value, and her house offered no place 
in which she thought she could place them 
with safety ; besides which, to her mind, the 
house of a financial agent of the government 
would be less respected than any other, and 
under the pretext of seeking for public proper- 
ty, it would be more thoroughly searched, and 
it was not probable that even her private pro- 
perty would be respected. Her husband, to 
whom she had communicated her fears, had 
concluded to await his return from Besangon, to 
decide what course to take in the matter ; but 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET, 


31 


time was pressing, and matters were advancing 
faster than they were prepared for. The enemy 
had passed by Belfort, and had advanced as 
far as L’isle-sur-les-Doubs, one day’s march 
from Baume-les- Dames. 

Whilst she was in this state of anxiety, she 
received a visit from a venerable ecclesiastic, 
the Abbe David, the principal of the college — a 
man loved and respected by all the inhabitants 
of the town and of his pupils, who looked upon 
him as a father. “ Madame,” said he, “ I am aware 
of your embarrassment, and I come to offer 
you my services, if you think that they can be 
of any value to you. There is under the vault 
of the college chapel, a sort of cell or little dark 
room in the recess of the walls, the entrance to 
which is small, but which is large enough inside 
to hold a great many things. I consider this hid- 
ing-place as safer than any of those which can 
be found in this town ; I have already placed 
therein the sacred vessels of the chapel and my 
silver; those persons to whom I have spoken 
of it are to take their property there to-night. 
One of them, Madame Bracieux, your friend, 
has told me of your embarrassment, and as 
there is still a little room, I have come to 
see if you wish to take advantage of it. I 


32 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


will only ask you to keep the matter a profound 
secret, because every one would wish to use 
my hiding-place, and unfortunately it is not as 
large as my good will, and besides, you know 
that there are not wanting evil-disposed persons, 
who, for some days past, have been watching 
what is going on among the citizens, and do 
not hesitate to say aloud, “ Y ou may hide your 
riches, but when the Cossacks come, we will 
show them the places in which you think you 
have made them safe, and we will divide with 
them ” 

Madame Die try thanked the abbe, and 
accepted his offer with gratitude. “ Prepare, 
then, at once,” said he, “ your trunks, and get 
ready what you wish to conceal. Every thing 
must be ready this evening, so as to be there 
by eight or nine o’clock, for the rest of the 
night will be needed to wall up the entrance 
to the hiding-place, so that to-morrow morn- 
ing there will be no traces of what we have 
done. As soon as you shall have terminated 
your preparations. Monsieur de Villette,” added 
he, turning to me (for I was present at the 
interview), “ will come and inform me, and 
I will send with him three of my biggest schol- 
ars, who will help him to carry your effects, for 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


33 


I do not wish to employ in this task either 
servants or workmen, that our secret may be 
the better kept.” 

Madame Dietry thanked him again, and told 
him that she would conform exactly to the 
course he had marked out. She added, “ But, 
sir, you have heard, no doubt, the opinions of 
those who pretend that it is useless to hide 
any thing ; some because the allies will respect 
our property, others because, if the town is 
given up to pillage, the most secret hiding- 
places will not escape discovery. Tell me 
frankly what is your opinion of this mat- 
ter.” 

“ Madame,” replied the abbe, “ the course 
which I am taking now ought to show you 
my views. I do not adopt absolutely the 
opinion of the first, or the exaggerated fears 
of the latter. Wars of invasion are no longer 
wars of pillage, of fire, and of rapine. The 
foreign powers are not carrying on against 
us a political war, and far from wishing a war 
of fire and blood, I think that it is their interest 
to be as moderate as possible, in order not to 
excite a general uprising, which would seriously 
compromise the safety of their armies, and 
would probably soon cause them to repent that 


34 the adventures of a casket. 

they had ever crossed our frontiers. My 
opinion is, that, in the open towns which the 
enemy’s troops will , have to pass through, they 
will commit no excess unless they meet with 
resistance; and I think that you have acted 
more wisely in remaining here than you would 
have done if you had gone into a fortified town. 
Here at least we are not upon the line, as far 
as I can see, where a great movement of the 
troops will take place, nor do we form a stra- 
tegic point, the occupation of which would 
necessarily involve a battle such as would be 
likely to compromise our safety. I think, then, 
that we will not be visited here by any thing 
more than a marching column, which will com- 
mit no great excesses, from the reasons I have 
already given ; but it is not the less prudent to 
keep out of sight, as far as possible, such valu- 
ables as would tempt the cupidity of foreign 
soldiers, for discipline can not always be strictly 
observed among large bodies of soldiers, and it 
will not do to expose men to temptation. After 
that, madame, when one has done all that 
human prudence can suggest, we must submit 
to the will of God, and remember that what he 
guards is well guarded.” 

The Abbe David had hardly finished 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


,35 


speaking, when the sound of trumpets and the 
distant beating of drums were heard in the 
street. In moments of crisis, the least inci- 
dent suffices to produce alarm. I rose with 
a bound, and ran to open the window ; but the 
apartment we were in was separated from the 
street by a yard. I could see nothing, but 
could J3nly hear more distinctly the sound of 
the drums, the trumpets, and the tramp of 
horses. Madame Dietry, quite alarmed, begged 
me to go and see what was going on, and to 
come and report. In an instant, I was in the 
street, and soon learned that it was a recon- 
noissance that a detachment of cavalry and in- 
fantry was going to make on the road to Bel- 
fort. The foot-soldiers stopped in the town to 
rest, and the cavalry continued their march. 
An officer of infantry, to whom I spoke, in- 
formed me that they had orders to advance 
until they fell in with the enemy, and then they 
were to return and report to the general what 
they had seen, and what they might have found 
ouj: as to his force and position. 

I at once carried this information to Madame 
Dietry and to the Abbe David, who were await- 
ing my return. 

“ Now, madame,” said he, rising up and get- 


3 ^ 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


ting ready to go, “ keep up your courage, and, 
above all, trust in God. You see that you have 
no time to lose. I leave you to make your 
preparations, and this evening shall expect Mon- 
sieur de Villette, whose services I now put into 
requisition, to help us wall up the inclosure 
of our hiding-place : I do not wish, from the 
reason which I have already given you, to em- 
ploy workmen at this task which, from our lit- 
tle experience, will probably occupy us all 
night.” 


Chapter II. 


A SKIRMISH THE CASKET AND THE HIDING* 

PLACE. 

WpiilsT Madame Die try, aided by her ser- 
vant-girl and her little niece, was busy in pack- 
ing up the objects which she desired to hide, I 
hastened to rejoin some of the young men of 
the town whom I had left in conversation with 
the military. I learned then that some travelers, 
just arrived from Clerval, had announced that a 
party of Hungarian hussars had made their ap- 
pearance that very morning in that little town ; 
that after having passed through it to see if 
there were any French troops there, they had 
left, as they said, to rejoin a corps of infantry 
and cavalry which was to come and occupy it. 

Clerval is a large borough, or little town, 
about ten kilometres from Baume-les-Dames, 
on the road to Belfort. When the command- 
er of the French detachment learned this, 
he commanded his men to halt for an hour, 


38 THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 

after which he would proceed on his way to 
Clerval. The inhabitants readily offered to 
the soldiers refreshments, which were accepted 
agerly and gratefully. They were almost all 
young men of my age, or even younger; it was 
easy to see that they were not accustomed to 
fatigue, and that it was with difficulty that they 
carried their knapsacks and muskets. The 
greater part of them had not yet received the 
uniform of their regiment, and wore a gray 
capote over their peasants’ dress ; nevertheless, 
they did not appear to feel uneasy at the ap- 
proach of the enemy, and their faces lighted up 
when they spoke of being able, perhaps, of en- 
gaging him with success. The subaltern offi- 
cers w^ere older, and had all made several cam- 
paigns ; some of them bore the marks of 
wounds and the cross of the Legion of Honor. 
The infantry consisted of three companies, un- 
der the orders of a major ; the cavalry was 
composed of half a squadron of chasseurs, 
commanded by a captain. The wffiole de- 
tachment was under the orders of Baron de 
Faudoas,. Colonel of the Thirteenth Regi- 
ment of Chasseurs. 

When the time for their departure ap- 
proached, one of the young men with whom I 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET* 


39 


was, proposed to go on in advance on the road 
to Clerval, and from a height about half way to 
that place, a little off the road, where, he said, 
we could have a good view from a distance of 
what was going on. We accepted his sugges- 
tion, and started off at once. Just outside of 
the town, we found the chasseurs, who had 
halted on the main road; they were not as 
young as the infantry, and appeared to be more 
accustomed to the business of arms ; but, un- 
fortunately, they were not well mounted, and 
their horses looked as if they could not bear 
much fatigue. Hardly had we passed by them 
when the trumpets sounded to horse, and the 
whole troop moved on ; but as we walked much 
faster than they, we soon left them all, both 
cavalry and infantry, some distance behind us. 

After marching three quarters of an hour, 
we reached the height for which we had set 
out. This spot was admirably chosen for a post 
of observation. Before us lay the road to a 
little village situated about two kilometres from 
Clerval ; it was completely deserted ; behind 
us our little detachment was advancing, hidden, 
from time to time, by the winding of the road. 
The chasseurs marched in front, and were pre- 
ceded by a platoon acting as an advanced guard 


40 THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 

to examine the route. A little in advance of 
this platoon were two troopers with muskets 
ready for use. 

I watched all these movements with feverish 
curiosity, and my eyes were cast alternately 
from our troops to the deserted road which lay 
before us. All of a sudden, we perceived two, 
then three, horsemen, then an entire platoon 
coming out of the village. 

They marched in about the same order as 
our chasseurs. My heart beat violently at this 
sight, for I felt sure that it was the enemy. 
As our people could not perceive him, one of 
us ran with all haste to give the alarm. In 
an instant afterward, an officer of chasseurs 
came to the place where we were, and having 
noted the route over which the enemy was 
marching, returned with all speed to rejoin 
his men. We soon saw the horses of the chas- 
seurs break into a trot, in order to get out of a 
little defile in which they were, and reach the 
open plain. We then saw the advanced guard 
of our soldiers move forward toward that of the 
enemy, from which it was now separated by 
only a kilometre. Soon, the scouts on both 
sides were within hail, and on one side was 
heard the cry of “ Qui vive r and on the 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 4 1 

other, ^'Wer da T Almost immediately, four 
musket-shots were exchanged, and the horse- 
men of both sides turned around and rejoined 
the platoons of the advanced guard, which, in 
their turn, fell back upon the detachment which 
followed them. Our chasseurs halted to let the 
infantry which was following them come up. 
Colonel Faudoas, accompanied by several of 
ficers, had in the mean time ridden up to the 
height where we were. He perceived a con- 
siderable body of cavalry debouching from the 
village, and advancing slowly along the road. 
No infantry was in sight. He immediately sent 
orders to the major to station a company of in- 
fantry upon the hill where we were and which 
commanded the road, and to deploy it as skir- 
mishers in the vineyards and orchards which 
were laid out on the side of a hill, the slope of 
which, on that side, was inaccessible to cavalry. 
At the same time, he cautioned us to retire 
if we did not wish to be exposed to danger. 
We withdrew a short distance, but not so 
far as to be out of sight of what might take 
place. 

Colonel Faudoas had rejoined his troop ; a 
company of voltigeurs then arrived on the hill, 
and took position as ordered by the colonel. 


42 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


The two other companies of infantry remained 
upon the road at the entrance to the defile. 
A quarter of an hour passed in death-like si- 
lence. At this moment, I could almost hear 
my heart beat. I saw the enemy’s cavalry, two 
or three times stronger than the French detach- 
ment, advance slowly along the road. When 
they saw our chasseurs, who remained motion- 
less, they formed at once for a charge. 

Our cavalry faced about and retired behind 
the two companies of infantry ranged in or- 
der of battle on the road. They immediately 
opened a running fire upon the enemy, and at 
the same time, those stationed as skirmishers 
upon the hill opened upon them in flank. 
The Austrians, caught between two fires, 
thought they had fallen into an ambuscade. 
They turned about with all speed, and com- 
menced a retrograde movement which was soon 
turned into a rapid flight, when our chasseurs 
started to pursue them. Our foot-soldiers, car- 
ried away by their ardor, also pursued for some 
time, and the officers could hardly restrain them. 
It was wonderful to see those young men 
— I might almost say, children — for the first 
time in the presence of an enemy, show such 
ardor, such force, and such impetuosity far 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


43 


above their tender years ; their countenances, 
at first pale and downcast, became animated and 
transfigured ; their eyes shot forth lightning, 
and those poor conscripts whom I had seen in 
the morning, bending under the weight of their 
accoutrements, leaped over hedges and ditches 
with incredible agility. . 

In an instant, the road was cleared ; the 
colonel recalled his troops, and after half an 
hour’s rest, he ordered them forward toward 
Baume-les-Dames ; but the order of march was 
the reverse of that of the morning, for the in- 
fantry was in advance and the cavalry brought 
up the rear. 

The engagement had not been a murderous 
one ; no one being killed on either side. A half 
a score of the enemy’s hussars had been wound- 
ed, as we learned afterward, though not se- 
riously ; four had had their horses killed and 
were taken prisoners. Our young conscripts 
brought them in in triumph as the trophies of 
their victory. Nobody had been hurt on our 
side ; only one little fellow had a bullet through 
his shako, and pointing to the hole made by the 
ball, congratulated himself “ that he was not as 
tall as a grenadier.” 

It was five o’clock in the evening when we 


44 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


reached the town ; the night was already quite 
dark ; for, as will be remembered, it was Decem- 
ber. The colonel stationed a guard of infantry 
at the entrance to the town, with a considerable 
body of cavalry in advance, and vedettes along 
the road ; and having thus provided for the 
safety of his command, he allowed them to 
repose for the rest of the night. 

On the road, I was talking with the officer 
whom I had met in the morning, and compli- 
mented him upon the manner in which his 
young soldiers had behaved during the combat 
which had taken place. “ The combatl^ said he, 
laughing and emphasizing the word ; “ do you 
call that a combat It is not even an encounter. 
If we had been a corps of veterans, it is not like- 
ly that a single shot would have been fired ; for 
it was a useless waste of powder. We were not 
sent out to fight, if we could avoid it, but only 
to reconnoitre, and after learning the condition 
and position of the enemy, to return and report ; 
but the colonel had an idea that it might not 
be amiss to try the mettle of oui* young con- 
scripts, and did so. It is perhaps as well, for 
there is probably not one of them who is not 
satisfied that he has been in a battle, and they 
will all have a marvelous account of it to give 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


45 


their comrades as soon as they get to Besan- 
gon. 

“ Do you expect soon to enter that town ?” 

“ Unless my orders are countermanded ; for, 
in the presenr state of affairs, nothing is certain. 
I expect to be there to-morrow night.” 

“ Then the Austrians may, indeed, pay us a 
visit by to-morrow.” 

“ By to-morrow or the day after, it is quite 
likely. In an enemy’s country, it is necessary 
to march with great care and slowly, unless you 
are in considerable force and the Austrians do 
not seem to be very numerous, in this direction, 
at least ; for they have had a week since they 
crossed the Rhine, and ought to be at Besangon 
by this time. They do not seem to be in a 
hurry ; and they are right, for they will get a 
warmer reception there than the one you wit- 
nessed this morning,” 

The events which I had gone through 
with in the last few hours had completely driven 
from my mind Madame Dietry and the hiding- 
place of the Abbe David. As soon as I arrived 
in town, I hastened to her house. She scolded 
me for my long absence, which had caused 
her a good deal of uneasiness ; a rumor had 
reached her that there had been an engagement 


46 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


between the French and Austrians on the Cler- 
val road, and she knew that I had gone in that 
direction with some companions. I told her 
what had happened, and gave her to understand 
that my curiosity had not exposed me to any 
danger. 

“ But,” said she, “ your presence was not 
necessary and was a needless exposure ; if any 
thing had happened to you, while you might 
have been pitied, every body would have said 
that it was your own fault, and that you had no 
business to go where you had nothing to do.” 

That’s right, aunt,” said little Aglae, who 
was present ; “ give him a good scolding ; he 
would have been better employed in helping us 
pack our trunks than in running after the sol- 
diers with a parcel of little boys.” And she ac- 
companied her speech with a pout that I could 
not help laughing at ; for Miss Aglae, great- 
ly spoiled by her aunt and uncle, was fond of 
teasing me whenever she got an opportunity, 
and I had often to laugh at her efforts to thwart 
me ; so that we had many quarrels, but for all 
were the best friends in the world. 

“ You are wrong, my niece,” said her aunt, 
“ to reproach him ; for he offered me his ser- 
vices, and I declined them, as I did not think it 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 47 

was the kind of occupation for a man ; but 
now,” said she, addressing me, “ your part of the 
task will begin, and you may inform the Abbe 
David that every thing is ready, and then return 
for what is to be taken away.” 

I went at once to the college. The abbe 
called my attention to the fact that there were 
still a great many people in the streets, and that 
it would be more prudent to wait a few hours 
longer. “ During this time,” said he, “ I will 
make use of you to help the masons,” and he 
led me into the yard of the college, where I 
found three young lads busy — one mixing mor- 
tar, another piling some stones in a hod, and 
the third carrying them off on his shoulder. 
The abbe loaded me up without ceremony with 
a hodful of bricks, and then, pulling off his cas- 
sock, he picked up a bag of plaster, and taking 
a lantern in his hand, bade me follow him. We 
went up a long flight of stairs, stopping to rest 
from time to time, and finally reached the 
arched roof of the chapel, and laid down our 
loads close to the entrance to the famous hiding- 
place. /It was a nook which seemed to have 
been made for the very purpose, and it was not 
possible to find it out without destroying the 
building. 


48 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


After five or six trips like the first, the 
abbe thought we had material enough ; I was 
glad of it, for I was tired out. The abb6 
noticed it, and remarked that it was easy to see 
that I was not accustomed to labor like the lads 
I had seen in the yard, who, it seems, were 
farmers’ sons who had quit the plow to enter 
the seminary as ecclesiastical students, in order 
to get clear of the conscription ; “ but,” said he, 
“ the work was by no means light, and is not 
yet done ; and until the time comes to finish it, 
we’ll go and take supper, which will give us the 
strength to accomplish the task. Come, Mon- 
sieur de Villette, you are one of us ; I have had 
a place set for you at table.” 

I tried to excuse myself, urging that Ma- 
dame Dietry might be uneasy at my long ab- 
sence. “ Madame Dietry,” said the abb^, “ does 
not expect you ; I have sent her a message that 
I would keep you here ; besides,” added he, 
smiling, “she knows very well that you are 
not as much exposed here as on the Clerval 
road.” 

I did not require any further urging, for the 
idea of a good supper suited me exactly, as I 
had eaten nothing since breakfast, and I was of 
that age when even the strongest emotions of 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


49 


the mind do not take away one’s appetite. My 
comrades, as the principal called them, appeared 
to be of my way of thinking, and we paid every 
respect to the good abbe’s supper. He himself 
was not lacking in appetite, and during the 
whole of our meal did not cease to make us 
sharers in his gayety, which finally relieved me 
of all the apprehensions which had agitated me. 
As soon as supper was over, the abbe rose, and 
recollecting himself for an instant, said, “ Let 
us return thanks to God for the repast he has 
just given us ; let us beg him, at the same time, 
to assist us through the crisis which is upon us ; 
let us invoke his Holy Mother ; let us also in- 
voke his well-beloved disciple, whose feast it 
is to-day (for it was the 27th of December), 
that they will implore the Saviour of the world 
to restore peace to our country and to all Chris- 
tians, and that he will vouchsafe to be merci- 
ful to us in particular.” 

After a moment’s silence, during which each 
one of us mentally offered his prayer to Al- 
mighty God, the abb6 resumed : “ Now, my 
children, that we have placed ourselves under 
the protection of God, let us rely exclusively 
upon his holy providence, and finish without 
loss of time the work we have begun. Go 


50 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


at once, all four of you, to Madame Dietry’s. 
She has only two trunks to send here ; there 
will be two of you for each ; be careful to take 
no lantern with you, and do not come in by the 
main entrance ; follow the little street to the 
left of the college buildings till you reach the 
small door which opens upon the yard, where 
you found the materials which we used this 
afternoon. Here is the key of that door, which 
I give in charge of M. de Villette, who will be 
careful to lock it as soon as you have all passed 
in. You will then go into the kitchen, where 
you will find a lantern burning, and you will 
join me under the roof of the chapel, where I 
will await your coming.” He repeated these 
instructions, impressing upon us the necessity 
of following them strictly. 

We found Madame Dietry somewhat impa- 
tient at our delay, and much exercised by a new 
source of disquietude. She had just learned 
that the French soldiers, advised that the enemy 
was preparing to surprise them, were getting 
ready to march at once. We knew nothing of 
this, but it was possible, and it therefore became 
necessary that we should hasten back to the 
college with the trunks before the Austrians 
should arrive. Just as we were about to leave, 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 5 1 

Madame Dietry called me into the next room, 
and taking from the table a little plain oak box, 
she gave it to me, saying, “ Monsieur de Vil- 
lette, I confide this casket to you ; it contains 
some things of considerable value, which are 
very precious to me. There are in it our silver, 
my jewelry, some gold and some bank-notes, 
which belong to my niece, Aglae It is a part 
of her inheritance, which my husband, her guar- 
dian, was about to invest for her ; but this is 
not a favorable time for such a transaction, and 
he had resolved to await a better opportunity. 
I hesitated for some time about parting with 
this property which I might, perhaps, have 
placed in safety in my house, in view of the 
small space it occupies, and wished to consult 
my husband about it. But time is pressing, and 
as, from what the Abbe David and you have told 
me, the hiding-place at the college is perfectly 
safe, I decided this evening to send this casket 
there also ; but I did not wish to speak in the 
presence of these young people, whom I do not 
know, of the value of the articles it contains. I 
tell it to you alone, that you may know the 
great importance of the trust which I confide 
to you, and that you may use every care in rela- 
tion to it.” 


52 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


I took the casket by the handle on the lid, 
assuring Madame Di^try that she might rely 
upon my zeal and discretion. As I handled it 
with great care, in order that the motion of the 
box might not cause its contents to rattle, and 
so betray what was in it, she said, “Do not be 
afraid, for I have wrapped each piece of silver in 
paper, and have placed my jewelry in a box lined 
with wadding ; the gold coins are in five rolls, of 
a thousand francs each ; the bank-notes are in a 
pocketbook, and the whole is packed tight 
with some valuable laces and handkerchiefs, 
which completely fill the casket and will pre- 
vent any motion. Besides this, the lock is 
strong, and the wood and top of the box 
quite solid, so that you may let it fall even 
without any danger of disturbing the con- 
tents; so carry it along without any more 
care than you take for the trunks which 3^ou 
have in charge.” 

When we returned into the room where we 
had left the three young men, Madame Dietry 
said to them, “ Pardon me, gentlemen, for hav- 
ing kept you waiting; I wished to give to 
M. de Villette this box of clothing and toilet 
articles. Now you may go ; but first you had 
better take a little glass of this cordial, which 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


53 


will strengthen you and protect you against the 
effects of the foggy night.” 

We did not need much persuading, and each 
one of us took two glasses of the liquor, which 
was delicious. Then two of my companions 
took hold of one of the trunks, the third took up 
the other by the handle on one end, and I took 
the other, carrying in my right hand the casket 
which she had just confided to me ; and in this 
order we left the house in silence, and walked 
along quietly in the most profound darkness, 
toward the little street through which we were 
to reach the college. 

When I got into the open air, I felt a kind 
of vertigo, caused either by the fatigue I had 
undergone during the day or by the effect of 
the cordial which I had just taken on top of a 
heavy meal, at which I had used more wine than 
I was accustomed to, or, perhaps, by all of these 
causes combined ; my head became heavy, and 
I felt a great desire to sleep. By a violent 
effort of my will, I overcame this drowsiness ; 
my legs, which seemed to be giving way, were 
braced up, and we arrived at the little gate be- 
fore my companions discovered my distress. 
As both my hands were full, I begged one of 
them who was carrying the other trunk to take 


54 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


from my pocket the key of the gate, to open it 
and lock it again. As soon as the gate was open, 
I went in and directed my steps toward the 
kitchen, on the table of which I found the light- 
ed lantern which the abbe had provided. I me- 
chanically put upon the floor the casket which 
I had in my right hand, and took the lantern to 
light our way to the hiding-place, where the 
Abb6 David was waiting for us. At all events, 
this is what I suppose I did, for I do not recol- 
lect distinctly what took place ; as from the 
time of leaving Madame Dietry’s house, I was 
not conscious of any thing that I did ; I only 
recollect that when we reached the roof of the 
chapel, the abbe said to us, “ Come, gentle- 
men, let us be quick ; you know that the enemy 
is coming, and it won’t do to be caught here 
with our trowels in our hands.” 

He then sent me into the little hiding-place 
with the lantern and the trunk that I was 
carrying. I have a confused recollection that 
it was already full of all sorts of trunks, pack- 
ages, boxes, etc., and also that I placed my trunk 
alongside a casket very much like that of Ma- 
dame Di^try’s ; at least this recollection came to 
me afterward, and confirmed me in the full be- 
lief that I had perfectly fulfilled my commission. 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


55 


After having put away the second trunk, 
they commenced to brick up the hiding-place. 
I can give no account of this operation; all that 
I know is that I mechanically passed the brick 
and stone to one of my companions, who handed 
them to another, and he to the real workman — 
that is to say, the Abbe David — and the oldest of 
the young men, who, it seems, had learned the 
mason trade before coming to college. Mon- 
sieur David also understood this kind of work, 
and in less than two hours, the opening was 
walled up and concealed so thoroughly that it 
would have been difficult to distinguish it from 
any other part of the wall. 

I was overcome with sleep ; when the work 
was done, two of my companions were as much 
exhausted as I was, and Monsieur FAbbe, who 
noticed how completely we were overcome, said 
to us before the task was entirely accomplished, 
‘‘ My children, you need rest. Jacques and I will 
finish what is to be done ; you go to bed.” We 
did not wait to be told twice. My two com- 
panions went to their beds in the dormitory, 
and I returned to the little room which I oc- 
cupied at Madame Dietry’s house. The most 
profound quiet reigned throughout the town. 
I did not stop to inquire whether the French 


56 THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 

had left or the Austrians arrived ; all I thought 
of was to get to bed and rest after the fatigues 
of the day and the two sleepless nights I had 
passed. 


Chapter III. 


THE ENTRANCE OF THE AUSTRIANS. 

It was near noon when I awoke, and my 
sleep would not have been broken even then 
had it not been for the extraordinary tumult 
which was made in the street I ran to my 
window, and found all the neighbors and the 
whole street in great agitation. “ The Aus- 
trians are coming !” “ Here are the Austrians !” 
cried out to me, at the same moment, several 
persons beneath my window, of whom I had 
inquired what was going on. 

I finished dressing in great haste, but hard- 
ly was my toilet completed, when the tumult in 
the street ceased, and was succeeded by the 
noise of the galloping of horses. Five Hun- 
garian hussars rushed by at full gallop, but 
this did not prevent me from observing their 
appearance. They held the bridles of their 
horses in their teeth, their sabres in their right 
hands, and in their left their pistols, cocked; 


58 THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 

guiding their horses with their knees, and urg- 
ing them forward with their spurs. After hav- 
ing advanced for some distance on the road to 
Besangon, they retraced their steps, all the time 
at full gallop ; they had replaced their pistols 
in their holsters, but still carried their sabres 
in their hands. They had been sent to ascer- 
tain if there were any French soldiers in the 
town, and returned to give an account of their 
mission. Within ten minutes after their re- 
turn, we heard the clang of trumpets, and soon 
an entire regiment of hussars appeared at the 
head of the street, advancing in the order used 
by cavalry when entering a town. Notwith- 
standing the pain which the sight of the enemy 
caused me, I could not help admiring the fine 
appearance and warlike air of the men, and par- 
ticularly the vigor and mettle of the horses. 

“ Ah !” said I to myself, “ if our cavalry 
were only as well mounted as these hussars, 
how they would chase them !” 

Following the hussars came a battalion of 
infantry. But though the Austrian horse 
compared so favorably to ours, the same could 
not be said of their foot-soldiers. Instead of 
that warlike appearance and steady march 
which so distinguish our regiments of infantry. 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 59 

the poor kaiserlichs marched in disorder, with 
broken ranks and heads down, as if they were 
afraid to look the French in the face ; their 
white uniforms, or what were meant for white, 
were soiled, stained with mud, and often torn. 
The drummers, instead of being at the head of 
the column and directing its march, as with us, 
were placed in the centre, and beat, only occa- 
sionally, a short and monotonous march, to 
which the soldiers could not keep step. As for 
myself, this lugubrious march chilled me com- 
pletely through, and made me think that I was 
assisting at the funeral service of the indepen- 
dence and glory of France. Somewhat later, 
our peasantry took a less serious view of the 
Austrian drum-beat, and interpreted the sound 
which it seemed to give forth by these four Ger- 
man words, Fleisch, Brod^ Wein^ Branntwein^ 
because these were the first words which the 
Austrian soldiers uttered when they entered 
their houses — words which they repeated, like 
their drums, even to nausea. 

When the troops had all passed by, I went 
to Madame Dietry, whom I found in tears ; 
even the smiling and arch little Agla6 had also 
been crying, and was seated in silence, her eyes 


* Meat, bread, wine, brandy. 


6o 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


all red, beside her aunt. I thought it was the 
arrival of the foreign troops that caused her 
pain, and tried to reassure her. 

“ It is not the presence of the Austrians,” 
said she, “ that causes me distress, but I 
have just received a letter from my hus- 
band, announcing that his business will not 
permit him to leave Besangon for two days. 
Now that the communications are interrupted, 
how can my husband manage to return hither 
If I could only go to meet him ! but I should 
be no more permitted to go to Besangon than 
he to return hither. And so we are separated 
for God knows how long a time — he to be ex- 
posed to the horrors of a siege, I to dangers 
which I can not foresee, and neither of us able 
to assist the other or to share the peril in com- 
mon. What a horrible situation !” 

Here her sobs redoubled, and little Agla6 
joined with hers. I was powerless to calm such 
legitimate grief. I endeavored, nevertheless, to 
tranquillize her, telling her that communication 
probably would be interrupted only for a short 
time; that if the direct road to Besangon should 
be intercepted, Monsieur Di^try could always 
take a by-road, which v/ould no doubt be free. 

“ But,” said she, “ do you think it calculated 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. ■ 6l 

to reassure me, if I knew that he were endeavor- 
ing to reach me, at this season of the year, by 
one of the cross-roads, almost impracticable, 
and deserted except by evil-disposed people — 
at a moment, too, when there is no police nor 
authority, and where he would be exposed to 
all sorts of risks ? I should prefer, I think, to 
have him remain at Besangon.” 

Finding that I made no progress in this di- 
rection, I tried to turn the current of her 
thoughts elsewhere, and then rose, telling 
her that I would go to see the Abbe David, 
to ascertain if there was nothing further 
to be done in regard to closing up the hiding- 
place. 

“ Apropos,” said Aglae, “ did you take good 
care of our casket, in which my aunt has put 
my pretty little watch and gold chain, which my 
uncle gave me on my birthday 

“ Do not be uneasy, mademoiselle, it is all 
safe.” 

“ Ah ! so much the better ; you see that I set 
more store by my watch and chain than by all 
the rest.” 

“ More than by your louis d'or and bank- 
notes which are with your watch T said her 
aunt, smiling. 


62 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


“ Certainly, for my watch was his present, 
and I think more of it on that account.” 

“ What you say, mademoiselle,” said I, 
does honor to your heart, and makes me quite 
forget the disagreeable things you said to me 
yesterday.” 

“ Well, well, are you still thinking of that ? 
I had already forgotten it ; as also your efforts 
to tease me.” 

“ How,” said I, “ can you speak to me 
of teasing you, when you never lose a 
chance to find fault with me, and to torment 
me ?” 

“ That is a new accusation, indeed,” said 
she, “ that I should find fault with you. Do 
you hear, my aunt, what he says F” 

I prolonged this little quarrel, because I 
hoped that I might succeed in diverting 
Madame Dietry for a moment from her sad 
thoughts. When she found herself appealed to 
by her niece, she answered, “ I thought you 
were going to keep the peace, but here you are 
quarreling again. I should think we had 
enough war going on outside without being 
disturbed indoors.” 

Finding that this jesting had been carried 
far enough, I held out my hand to Mademoi- 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 63 

selle Agla^, and in a tone half serious and half 
playful, I said to her, “ Your aunt is right, let 
us make peace.” 

“ I am agreed,” answered she ; “ and consent 
to forget all my complaints against you since 
you have taken so much care of my little watch 
and chain, but I insist upon two conditions to 
our treaty of peace.” 

“ What are they ?” 

“ First, that you will do as you have pro- 
mised me, and make me a copy of the pic- 
ture of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, 
which you showed us, and which you gave to 
your mother.” 

“ I grant it.” 

“ Second, that you will mend the head of 
my big doll, as you also promised me, unless, in- 
deed, my uncle should bring me a new one from 
Besangon, as he intended to do ; but I am afraid 
that his other occupations will have made him 
forget my commission.” 

I grant this too,” said I, gravely. 

And then we shook hands as a sign of our 
reconciliation. 

This child’s-play being finished, Madame 
Di^try said to me, “You said a moment 
ago that you wished to go and see the Abb6 


64 THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 

David. Was not every thing done last 
night ?” 

“ Yes, madame ; but I thought it might be 
well to see that all traces of our labor were re- 
moved, and we were so tired that Monsieur 
David sent us to bed before this part of our 
task was completed.” 

“ It is quite likely that he attended to this 
himself. I know him well, and do not think he 
would leave his undertaking half finished. 
Nevertheless, I think it better that you should 
go and see him, if only to learn the news of 
what is going on ; he is always well informed.” 

That was the real object which I had in 
proposing my visit to the abbe, for I was per- 
suaded that he had left nothing undone in re- 
gard to the hiding-place. I repaired, therefore, 
in all haste to the college. I learned, on my 
arrival, that the abbe was in conference with the 
mayor and the commander of the Austrian 
troops, which had just arrived. I waited until 
this was over, and then went to find the good 
abbe. 

“ Ah !” said he laughingly, “ have you woke 
up ? I recommend you to stick to your trade as 
a financier, and let masonry alone, for you will 
make but a sorry workman.” 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 6$ 

“ I quite agree with you, Monsieur I’Abbe,’* 
said I, in a similar tone ; “ but as times go, I 
am afraid that the trade of financier, and that 
of the mason too, as well as all others, will not 
amount to much.” 

“ Who can tell ; for it often happens that 
when matters are at their worst, they will soon- 
est change.” 

“ Then,” said I, “ we must soon expect a 
change; but do you see any evidence of it, and 
has your interview with those gentlemen who 
have just left you given you any reason to 
hope 

“ Not the least in the world ; these gentle- 
men have only come to tell me that the college 
is to be turned into a barrack, and that the bat- 
talion that has just arrived, or a large part of 
it, is to be lodged here.” 

“ O Monsieur I’Abbe,” cried I, almost 
overcome ; “ and can you tell me such a thing so 
calmly, and almost with a smile 

“ And would you have me cry about it ? 
I am sure I do not see that it is a matter to 
create so much alarm.” 

“ But think of the precious things that are 
concealed in your hiding-place ! Do you 
know that in one little box only that I brought 


66 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


here last night, there is contained a fortune in 
gold, and jewelry, and bank-notes ?” 

“ Well ! it is not more exposed than the 
sacred vessels or than my own silver, which are 
also there.” 

O my God ! what will become of Ma- 
dame Dietry when she learns that the pro- 
perty of that little orphan, her ward, whom 
she loves so much, is thus exposed ? Could 
you not avert such a misfortune, and try and 
make these gentlemen understand that a house 
of education ought not to be turned into a 
barrack r 

“ I think,” said the abbe, “ that you exag- 
gerate the matter a little. Listen a moment 
to me, and you will see that you have no cause 
for so much uneasiness ; but, first, you must 
know that the Austrian commander requir- 
ed of the mayor to provide a building big 
enough to accommodate his men, in order that 
he might keep his soldiers together in case of 
a surprise. He came to the college, as you 
have seen, to satisfy himself as to the number 
of men it would hold. I took good care to 
make no opposition, although I pointed out 
the inconvenience of transforming an establish- 
ment for public instruction into a barrack. He 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 67 

answered with a good deal of reason that the 
college was at present empty, but that even if 
it had been full, war had its necessities, to which 
every thing must be made to yield, and that as 
he was master, he should have to insist. What 
could I answer ? If I had persisted, I should 
probably have awakened his suspicions that 
there might be something of value concealed 
in the building ; so, instead of making the 
slightest objection, I placed every thing at his 
disposal. I took him myself through the dor- 
mitories into the class-rooms, through the 
study-halls, and even into the kitchen. The 
only favor that I asked of him was to allow 
me to keep my own apartment, which, as I 
told him, is not very large, and could not be of 
much use to him. ‘ Not only your own apart- 
ment,’ said he at once, ‘ but if there is any 
other part of the building which is indispen- 
sable to you, point it out, and it shall be re- 
served also for your use.’ I thanked him, and 
told him I wanted nothing but my own apart- 
ment, which, if necessary, could be completely 
shut off from the rest of the college by clos- 
ing the door which communicated with the 
principal entrance, and using only another 
stairway which I showed him. ‘ Do as you 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


wish, Monsieur I’Abbe,’ said he. ^ I will re- 
serve then for my use the little entrance,, and 
beg you will forbid its occupation by your sol- 
diers, who will not require it.’ ‘ I will place 
sentinels in charge of it, and you may depend 
upon not being disturbed.’ So, you see, mon- 
sieur, that we got along very amiably.” 

Well,” said I, “ I hope you will not trust 
too much to this amiability; and I am afraid 
you are too imprudent in thus remaining alone 
in the midst of five or six hundred foreign sol- 
diers.” 

“ And I think,” answered the abb^, “ that 
I have less to fear in the midst of a battalion 
than if I were with only a few detached troops. 
Among so many, with their officers, discipline 
will be better maintained than where two or 
three soldiers are lodged alone in a house far 
from the eyes of their other comrades and of 
their superiors. And I am also convinced 
that our hiding-place will be much safer than 
if the college had remained empty, and only a 
few men had been quartered in it. As long 
as it shall be occupied numerously, order will 
be kept up, and it will be a curious thing for 
us to see these foreign soldiers mounting 
guard for the safety of the treasures which we 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 69 

are so anxious to keep from their rapacity. 
But this is not all : observe that this little 
stairway which I have reserved for my own 
use, and which the soldiers are forbidden to 
approach, is the very one which leads to the 
roof of the chapel — that is to say, to. our hiding- 
place. The door at the head of these stairs, 
which opens into the arches, is locked with a 
strong padlock, and the one at the bottom will 
also be constantly closed, except to such per- 
sons as will come to see me. So, you see, that 
no one can reach the place where our riches 
are buried without passing by my apartment, 
and I am the dragon placed to guard this new 
golden fleece.” 

You have a very happy disposition, M. 
I’Abbe, to be able to look at things in such 
a favorable light. As for*^myself, I am not so 
much of an optimist, and I am much afraid 
that you will be disappointed in your hopes.” 

As we were speaking, we heard a number 
of voices on the stairs. ‘‘ Oh !” said the abbe, 
“ these are probably my guests who are arriv- 
ing. You shall judge for yourself if I am too 
much of an optimist, as you have just said.” 
At that instant, a hurrah was heard at the door, 
and I saw two officers enter, one of whom 


70 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


was the commander and the other a cap- 
tain. 

“ M. I’Abbe,” said the commander, we 
come to take up our quarters in your house. 
This is Captain Mayer, who will remain here 
in command of the place. I have assigned to 
him the apartment which you told me belonged 
to the professor of rhetoric. I have also told 
him what was agreed to between us, in relation 
to your lodgings. You may address yourself to 
him, if you have need, and he will keep matters 
straight ; I hope you will makegood neighbors.” 

“ I doo, Monsieur FAbbe. I hope ve vill 
lif like goot neighpors,” said Captain Mayer, in 
his turn, with an Austrian accent, in violent 
contrast to the perfect pronunciation of the 
commandant. 

“ In addition,” said the commander, “ I have 
to announce to you a new guest, Captain 
Mayer’s lieutenant ; can you, M. I’Abbe pro- 
vide a room for him 

“ There is,” answered M. David, “ the 
apartment of my assistant, but it is in the other 
part of the building, somewhat removed from 
that which the captain will occupy.” 

“ That is nothing ; on the contrary, it is 
well that the two officers who are to lodge here 


Thje adventures of a casket. 71 

be placed in different parts of the building, so 
as to exercise sujDervision over several points at 
once. And, now one more matter : you know, 
M. I’Abbe, that when in a campaign, the sol- 
diers are fed by the inhabitants. Certainly I do 
not mean you to understand that you will be 
obliged to feed the four or five hundred men 
who are to be quartered in your house— this is 
a matter which concerns the mayor of the town, 
who, upon my requisition, is to take charge of 
procuring provisions for the men ; but you 
will be obliged to set two additional places at 
your table for these officers who are to be your 
guests, unless you prefer to have them served 
in their own rooms.” 

The abb 6 had not expected such a re- 
quest, or rather such an order ; for it was in- 
deed an order, although given in a polite way. 
I saw by the movement of his lips, that he was 
evidently put out, but promptly mastering his 
feelings, he answered the commandant in his 
usual quiet way: 

“ I will be highly honored to have these 
gentlemen at my table, but you know that it is 
a college table, and not very sumptuous — ” 

“ I know, I know,” interrupted the com- 
mandant, laughing. “ ‘ Food*, healthful and 


72 THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 

abundant,’ is the usual expression of the pros- 
pectus. These gentlemen will be perfectly 
satisfied with it, and they know that on a cam- 
paign they must not be too hard to please. 

“ Come,” said he, turning to Captain Mayer, 
go, and look after your men, and then attend 
to the distribution of the provisions which the 
mayor will send for them. That will give M. 
FAbbe time to get your dinner ready. As for 
myself, I will go and look after the rest of my 
command.” 

At these words. Captain Ma3^er, striking 
the floor with his sabre, which he held in his 
left hand, carried the back of his right hand to 
his shako, made a half turn, and gravely walk- 
ed down-stairs. The commandant saluted the 
abb^ more gracefully, though not in such a 
military style, and followed his subordinate. 
As soon as they had gone, the abbe and I 
looked at each other for some time without 
speaking, and then there came simultaneously 
to our lips the same question, “ What do you 
think of these gentlemen ?” I was the first to 
answer : “ I do not think that at present they 
have any idea of pillaging or maltreating us; 
but, in the shape of requisitions and of the 
rights of war, they will devour us little by lit- 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


73 


tie; and when there is nothing left to give 
them, who can answer for what will happen 

“And why worry ourselves in advance,” said 
the abbe, “ about misfortunes that may never 
come upon us ? The future belongs to God, 
and we must not be unreasonably disquieted 
about it. On the contrary, let us thank him 
that the present does not appear to be as 
alarming as we feared. These enemies whom 
our imagination had pictured to ourselves as 
ready to put every thing to fire and sword seem 
gentle enough, and show no disposition to 
injure us wantonly. They demand meat and 
drink, which is very natural, and our soldiers 
did the same thing in their country, and were 
even more exacting than these seem to be. 
Now, I must leave you to go and give orders to 
my cook to have every thing ready when these 
gentlemen return ; but first I have a favor to 
ask of you.” 

What is it, M. I’Abbe ? I shall only be 
too glad to be of service to you.” 

“Well then, I wish you to help me enter- 
tain these two officers at dinner. I admit that I 
feel no little embarrassment in finding, myself 
exposed to a tete-a-tete with these two kaiser- 
licks] and I shall not be sorry to have some 


74 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


one to help me in the duties of host which 
are thus forced upon me ; and, besides, I expect 
to be obliged to absent myself before dinner is 
over, and I should not like to leave them alone 
in my room.” 

“ Since you desire it, I accept your invita^ 
tion with pleasure. I will go and tell Madame 
Dietry not to wait dinner for me, and I will 
rejoin you immediately.” 


Chapter IV. 


A DINNER WITH THE AUSTRIAN OFFICERS. 

I WAS afraid that Madame Dietry might be 
alarmed, as I had been, by hearing that the col- 
lege was to be entirely occupied by soldiers ; 
and I took care, in communicating this news to 
her, to add all the explanations and all the rea- 
sons which the Abbe David had given me to 
reassure her as to the safety of the objects 
which we had hidden away. She appeared to 
be quite satisfied, and declared her entire con- 
fidence in the prudence of the abbe ; but the 
thought of her absent husband and the obsta- 
cles in the way of their reunion preoccupied 
her to such an extent that every thing else 
seemed indifferent to her. 

On leaving Madame Dietry’s to return to 
the college, I met one of the employes of the 
mayor’s office, who seemed to have some urgent 
affair on hand. 


76 THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 

“ What is the matter, Monsieur Bernard 
said I. “ You seem to be full of business.” 

“ Don’t speak of it. I hardly know where to 
begin first. Just think of it! The Austrian 
commander has made a requisition upon us 
for ten thousand rations of bread, meat, wine, 
forage, and oats, for some troops who are to 
arrive to-morrow and the day after ; and what 
the town can not furnish must be procured in 
the neighboring villages. And besides, he has 
given notice that this requisition will be fol- 
lowed by others still more considerable; ‘for,’ 
said he, ‘ it is the intention of the general-in- 
chief to establish here a part of the storehouses 
for the troops who are to lay siege to Besan- 
qon ; and I am now in search of convenient 
storehouses, but have found nothing as yet 
except the college church, which will probably 
be used to store forage.” 

“ Have you spoken about it to the princi- 
pal r 

“ No, it is hardly necessary to consult him ; 
for if it did not meet his views, it would make 
no matter. The buildings of the college are 
already occupied for barracks, and thus the 
inhabitants are greatly relieved from furnishing 
lodgings for the soldiers. It would thus seem 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 77 

a great convenience to have the forage stored 
there, as it would be under the immediate 
guard of the soldiers ; and then, if there is 
not room enough in the church, the immense 
arches over it could be made to answer for a 
granary, and hold almost as much as the church 
itself.” 

I could not help thinking that this was 
going to be a great source of danger to our 
hiding-place. “ But,” said I, with an air of in- 
difference, “ has this been determined on 

“ No ; it is as yet only an idea of the may- 
or’s, but I think well of it, and believe that it will 
be done, if it should be decided to establish here 
a depot for these provisions.” 

By this time we had reached a large rolling- 
mill, where there were vast sheds, which Mr. 
Bernard was going to examine, to see if they 
would answer the purpose. “ Here,” said I, 
“ you will find much better accommodations for 
your storehouse than the college church.” 

“ We will see ; but it is rather far from the 
centre of the town.” 

“ And what of that answered I. “ Do 
you think that the cavalry who will require 
these stores will care about a few feet more 
or less ? And besides, a building filled with 


78 THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 

forage is in great danger from fire. A lantern 
left burning or a spark from a pipe may set fire 
to the straw or hay ; and you may easily imagine 
the irreparable misfortune which would result 
from a fire which might happen in the centre 
of the town, and not only destroy the church, 
but the numerous buildings in the neighbor- 
hood, among them that of your father, which, 
I believe, adjoins the college.” 

“ That is very true, and I had not thought 
of it. I will speak to the mayor, and will try to 
turn him aside from this project. Will you 
come with me to inspect the rolling-mill 

“ No,” answered I ; “ I have not the time.” 

“ In that case, au revoir ; but before leaving 
you, I must tell you that your services will pro- 
bably be put into requisition.” 

“ And of what use can I be .^” 

“ As an auxiliary in the mayor’s office. The 
number of employes is hardly sufficient for or- 
dinary times, and is now quite inadequate ; so 
that the mayor proposes, in order to help us, to 
put into requisition the clerks of the lawyers 
and notaries, as well as those of all the public 
offices. You are one of the first upon the list, 
and may expect to be called upon at any 
moment. And so I will wish you good-night.” 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


79 


“ Adieu !” said I, leaving him, while think- 
ing that this was another unfortunate complica- 
tion. 

I went in all haste to the college. The 
principal was still alone. I reported to him 
what M. Bernard had said to me, 

“ Y ou gave him a very good answer,” said 
the abb6 to me ; “ and now that I am advised, 
I will speak to the mayor, who, I am sure, will 
easily recognize the inconveniences of establish- 
ing a forage depot in our chapel. As to the 
arches, to take away any temptation to use 
them, I will say, as is true, that they are not 
in good condition, and that it will be dan- 
gerous to load them down with any heavy 
weight. Now, with reference to the establish- 
ment of depots, I must say that I do not see any 
inconvenience in it for the people of the town — 
quite the contrary ; for that will require, as a 
guard for the storehouses, the presence of a 
permanent garrison and of officers who will 
preserve order, and, while guarding the safety 
of their depots, will also promote the safety of 
the inhabitants. But I pity the poor villagers 
who live within the district, who will have to 
furnish the supplies, for on them the requisi- 
tions will fall ; and if soldiers are sent out to 


8o 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


enforce these levies, many exactions and ex- 
cesses of every kind will follow. But why 
should I have melancholy forebodings ? Come, 
let us drive such thoughts away, and prepare 
ourselves to face bravely the two champions 
whom we may expect here in a few minutes. 
While waiting for their arrival, I must show 
you the field of battle which I have pre- 
pared.” 

Saying these words, he led me into the 
dining-room. I was struck with the cleanliness 
and order of the apartment. Four places were 
set at the table, which was covered with a fine 
cloth as white as snow. Napkins to match 
were placed at each plate, and silver dishes on 
each side. Silver spoons and two beautiful 
silver candlesticks with lighted candles orna- 
mented the table. All of the silver was marked 
with a jD, the initial of the abbe. 

I could not help exclaiming, when I saw 
such a display, “ But I thought you told me 
that you had hidden all your silver away up 
there !” 

“ I have concealed only the college silver — 
that is to say, the silver for the pupils ; and 
there are some eighty silver converts'^ and as 

* A convert is a set consisting of a fork and spoon. 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


8l 


many cups put away. But I have not con- 
cealed any of the silver which belongs to 
me ; and, before dinner is over, you will see 
that I have acted wisely. You do not seem to 
notice,” added he, “ what is here and he point- 
ed to the buffet, on which were arranged ten 
bottles of various forms, some of which were 
covered with thick dust and cobwebs, which 
bore witness to their age, as gray hairs indicate 
our own. 

“ You do not mean it. Monsieur l’Abb6 
exclaimed I, at the sight of the bottles drawn 
up in line, like soldiers on parade. “ Can you 
possibly intend to make us all drunk T' 

“ My friend,” said he, in a serio-comical 
way, “ we must suit ourselves to the times ; 
and,” pointing to the table, “ there is the battle- 
field, and here,” pointing to the buffet, “ are our 
small-arms and our artillery.” 

“ Well, then,” said I, “ I acknowledge 
myself unequal to the task of doing my share. ’ 

“ My child,” said he, “ do you not see that 
I am only jesting ? Do you imagine that I 
would counsel you to drink more than you 
ought } Be not uneasy ; our adversaries will 
not think that our supplies are too abundant. 
I have said that a kaiserlich can drink his four 


82 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


bottles at dinner without feeling uncomfortable ; 
and at this rate, you see, there is none too 
much, for you and I will only have one apiece. 
But let us stop jesting and speak more serious- 
ly. I believe it is politic and proper to act 
with these men as I am doing. Instead of 
appearing to act grudgingly, and to seem to 
regret giving them to eat and to drink, which 
would only discontent them, I think it better 
to be unsparing, in order to dispose them more 
favorably toward us. So you see what I 
have done for the liquid part of our dinner. 
As to the solids, there will be soup, a large 
piece of beef, one dish of vegetables, a leg of 
mutton with beans, and a salad ; no side-dishes ; 
no delicacies — -food healthy and abundant, as the 
commandant said ; the whole washed down with 
tolerable wine. I think all this ought to satisfy 
them.” 

“ Indeed,” said I, “ if they are not satisfied 
with this, they must be hard to please ; but, M. 
I’Abbe, if you treat your enemies so well, how 
will you treat your friends T 

“With less ceremony, my dear child — as, 
for instance, I treated you last night ; but then 
you had a dish which will be wanting here — 
the dish of good-feeling. You know the pro- 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 83 

verb, ‘ We can catch more flies with honey 
than with vinegar.’ ” 

“ I hear steps upon the staircase,” said I, 
interrupting the abb^ ; “ these are probably 
your guests who have arrived.” The abbe 
took one of the candles from the table, opened 
the door, and lighted the way for the new- 
comers. 

“ Pardon me, gentlemen,” said he, “ I ought 
to have had a light placed at this entrance ; as 
we seldom used it before, there never has been 
any.” Saying these words, he showed them 
into his bedroom, which served him as a parlor, 
and bidding them sit down, he added, “ Please 
to rest here for a moment, while I order the 
dinner served.” 

The two officers said nothing, and seated 
themselves in silence. I did the same, and we 
all three remained silent for a few minutes, 
during which time I had an opportunity to 
examine the principal’s guests. I have already 
told you something of Captain Mayer, of his 
accent and military stiffness ; to finish his por- 
trait, I will add that he seemed to be about forty 
years of age ; his hair thin, but, as a compen- 
sation, he wore enormous mustaches, which 
reached his ears, and seemed to divide his face 


84 the adventures of a casket. 

in two. After seating himself in an arm-chair, 
he placed his large sabre between his legs, 
both his hands resting upon the hilt, his chin 
supported on his hands. In this attitude, his 
eyes vacantly fixed upon the ceiling, he appear- 
ed to await with ill-disguised impatience the 
hour for dinner. 

The other officer, the lieutenant, was quite 
a young man, just fresh from some German 
university ; his hair was light and long, and his 
shako could hardly cover his luxuriant locks ; 
his face was a clear red and white, like that of 
a young girl, and he might have been taken for 
a young woman in disguise but for the down 
which was beginning to cover his upper lip and 
his chin. His voice, although soft and agree- 
able, was a baritone, almost a basso. But of 
this I only became aware some time afterward, 
for as yet our silence had not been broken, and 
I began to feel quiet embarrassed, not knowing 
whether I should speak first or wait to be 
interrogated. The young lieutenant appeared 
to be as much embarrassed as I was, at one 
time looking at his captain, whose eyes re- 
mained fixed upon the ceiling ; at another, 
looking round upon the paintings and, draw- 
ings which ornamented the principal’s room. 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 85 

some of which were the work of the pupils of 
the college. 

The arrival of the principal put a stop to 
this dumb scene, which had become somewhat 
annoying. At a single glance, the captain took 
in the appetizing appearance of the table load- 
ed with dishes, and especially of the bottles 
ranged upon the buffet in front of him. His 
countenance, until then so cold and phlegmatic, 
seemed to light up ; he said some words in Ger- 
man to his lieutenant, who answered with a 
“ mein Herr^,'' uttered in a base voice which 
startled me, so astonished was I at hearing 
such sounds from that juvenile mouth. Then 
the two officers unbuckled their sabres, which 
they placed on the back of a chair. 

The abbe offered to put them in the next 
room. “No, no,” said the captain ; “soldiers 
should never separate themselves from their 
arms.” 

The abbe did not appear to notice the dis- 
trust which this remark indicated, and hasten- 
ed to help them. It was a pleasure to see 
these two men eat, particularly the captain ; he 
bolted every thing, and his companion seemed 
to be already satisfied, while it seemed as if the 
captain had only just begun. But if he emptied 


86 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


his plate hastily, he emptied his glass still more 
quickly, and I began to think that he would 
easily dispose of the four bottles of wine which 
the abbe had spoken of. At length, after he 
had got his second slice of mutton and his 
second bottle of wine, he heaved a sigh of satis- 
faction, and said to the abbe with as little 
harshness in his voice as possible, “You haf 
giffen us a goot tinner. Monsieur I’Abbe. I 
dank you for eit, for I hat a creat abbe- 
dide.” 

“ I am very glad, captain,” said the abbe, 
“ that you found the dinner to your liking ; but 
your lieutenant does not appear to be of your 
way of thinking, for he is eating nothing. Lieu- 
tenant, shall I offer you a second slice of mut- 
ton 

“ Gratias ago Domine^ answered the young 
officer in his deep voice. 

“ Ah !” said the captain, “ de lieudenand 
can not speak Vrench ad all ; pud he speaks 
Ladin like Cicero.” 

“ In that case,” said the abbe, “ we can 
understand each other, and these two young 
men,” designating me, “can talk together.” 

“ Do you speak Latin ?” said the young 
lieutenant to me in that language. 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 8/ 

A little,” I answered. 

“ Then we shall be able to understand each 
other,” said he. Now the ice was broken, and 
the reserve which had lasted till then disap- 
peared entirely. 

The dessert was brought ; a few glasses of 
bordeaux soon put the guests in good humor, 
and the conversation became more and more 
animated. 

The captain and the abbe were gravely 
discussing the merit and quality of different 
wines, whilst my partner was telling me of his 
studies, of the university in which he had been 
brought up, of his intention of practicing law 
when circumstances forced him to take up arms 
to serve his country. 

He spoke Latin with a great deal of facility 
and elegance, but with a Teutonic accent which 
at times rendered it difficult for me to under- 
stand. Although I had stood high in my 
classes and had taken two premiums, I could 
not express myself in Latin with as much ease 
as he could ; I was obliged to hesitate for my 
words, and to construct my sentences in my 
head before answering him, whilst he spoke 
fluently and without wavering, as if it had been 
his native tongue. 


88 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


This arose from the habit he had acquired 
in the university, where the students were 
trained from their entrance to speak Latin with 
each other, and where the classes and the ex- 
planations of the professors are all carried on 
in that language. I myself acquired some of 
this facility in my intercourse with the Hun- 
garians and Austrians, during the invasion ; 
for we constantly spoke Latin together. 

A knock at the door interrupted our con- 
versation when it was just at its height. I 
opened it, and an Austrian sergeant who was 
standing there addressed me with these words: 

“ Herr Captain Mayer 

I led him into the dining-room. He stop- 
ped at the threshold, and assuming the posture 
of a soldier under arms, made a military salute 
and said a few words in German to the captain, 
who rose hastily, hooked his sword upon his 
belt, and, taking up one of the bottles which 
were on the table, he poured out a brimming 
glass and offered it to the sergeant, who emp- 
tied it in a single swallow, and placed it back 
on the table, saying, “ Ich danke^ Capitaine ” 
(thanks, captain) ; and wheeling around, he 
walked down the stairs, lighting the officer’s 


the adventures of a casket. Sg 

steps with a lantern which he had got some- 
where or othen 

As soon as the}^ were gone, Lieutenant 
Hirtsch (I remember his name particularly, for 
Miss Aglae remarked later, that the best way 
to pronounce it was to sneeze) informed us 
that the commandant had sent for the captain ; 
probably to see how his men were lodged, and 
if they had what they needed ; the inspection 
would not take a great while, and the captain 
would doubtless return soon. 

So it turned out, and he brought the com- 
mandant with him. The appearance of this offi- 
cer was quite unexpected, but he addressed us, 
on entering, in a very affable manner, “ A thou- 
sand pardons, gentlemen, for my disturbance, 
but, being so near, I could not make up my 
mind to return to my quarters without bidding 
you good-night, and thanking you, Mr. Princi- 
pal, for the generous hospitality you have shown 
to my officers.” 

“ You are too good, sir,” said the abbe ; “ I 
do not see how I have deserved these thanks 
from you.” 

As we had all risen on the entrance of the 
commandant, and were still standing, he begged 
us to be seated, and the abbe said, “Well, sir 


90 


THE ADVENTURES OE A CASKET. 


we will do so if you will honor us by accepting 
a glass of champagne, and allow us to drink 
your health.” 

“With pleasure,” said the commandant, and 
he took a seat alongside of the abbe. After 
the wine had been passed round, the comman- 
dant resumed the conversation. 

“ I was thanking you, Monsieur I’Abbe,” 
said he, “ for the pleasant reception which you 
have given to my officers, and I can easily 
judge, from what I see myself, that Captain 
Mayer has not exaggerated any thing in the re- 
port he has just made to me. I am happy espe- 
cially in seeing that you have not deemed it ne- 
cessary to do as a good many of your country- 
men have done — who seem to consider the al- 
lied troops as only a gathering of pillagers and 
brigands, from whom it was necessary carefully 
to hide their silver and jewelry. I have observ- 
ed this more than once since entering into 
France, but particularly at the mayor’s house, 
who invited me to dine to-day. This is bad 
taste, at least on the part of persons whose so- 
cial position is known, and who, while they re- 
ceive us into their sumptuously furnished apart- 
ments, give us nothing but a pewter spoon and 
a steel fork to eat with. A peasant may be for- 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


9 ^ 


given for hiding away the little table silver he 
may happen to own, and as no one expects to 
find a silver service in his house, it does not 
seem strange to see his table set out with only 
common ware ; but in a rich man’s house, it 
looks as if we were injuriously suspected, and 
wounds our feelings. And certainly, after the 
declaration made by the allied sovereigns, so 
frank, loyal, and explicit as it is, and after the 
proclamation of our general-in-chief, Prince 
Schwartzemberg, the French ought to under- 
stand that we are not making war on them ; 
that we bear them no hatred or animosity ; that 
we have no other intention than to force the 
Emperor Napoleon to make a lasting peace, by 
obliging him to give up his ambitious projects, 
which are as prejudicial to France as to the 
rest of Europe. No doubt the presence of fo- 
reign troops is a heavy burden upon the coun- 
try ; but we are endeavoring, and will continue 
to endeavor to render this as light as possible, 
by maintaining the strictest discipline among 
our men, and by punishing with unrelenting se- 
verity every violation by our soldiers of the 
rights of the people, either in their persons of 
their property. So, Monsieur I’Abbe, you may 
rest assured that all that silver-ware that you dis- 


92 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


play upon your table is in no wise exposed to 
any greater risk, with our four hundred soldiers 
in the college, than when you had none but 
your own students in it. Not a single thing 
that belongs to you, no matter how valuable it 
may be, shall be taken from you by our men ; 
and should any thing of this kind occur to give 
you the least cause of complaint, do not hesi- 
tate to report it, and you shall receive justice at 
once, and woe be to the guilty one ! But, with 
all our good intentions, I can not answer as 
fully for such things as unjust distrust may have 
tried to hide from our eyes. This absence 
from houses where it is evident they are of 
daily use, must naturally excite suspicion, and 
suspicion sometimes gives rise to bad thoughts ; 
for in an army there are all kinds of disposi- 
tions. Men who would not think of carrying 
off a watch from its hanging place, or a piece 
of silver from the dinner-table, not from delica- 
cy alone, perhaps, but for fear of punishment, 
can not help saying to themselves, ‘ There is 
some place or other where these valuables are 
hidden ; let us search for them ; if we find them, 
no one will perceive that we have taken them 
and they search, and often, almost always, find ; 
for there is no hiding-place that a soldier does 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


93 


not discover in the end, if he once sets about it ; 
and then he is not likely to leave any traces of 
his doings, and it becomes almost impossible 
to find him out ; besides which, though we may 
use every effort in our searches, we can not 
sympathize very deeply with the victims of such 
thefts. If, for instance, your mayor should 
come to me to-morrow, to report that he had 
been robbed of a dozen sets of silver forks and 
spoons, I should say to him at once, 

“ ‘ Why ! how is this, Mr. Mayor, did you 
have any silver ? I did not notice any.” 

“ ‘ Well,’ he will say, ‘ that is because I had 
hidden it away.’ 

“ ‘ And so, too, the thieves have hidden 
themselves, to conceal their doings. Are you 
quite sure that this robbery is the act of our 
soldiers, or is it not just as likely to be the work 
of some of those very people whom you em- 
ployed to make your hiding-place You must 
be quite sure of your facts before you make 
such an accusation.’ 

“ I feel then. Monsieur I’Abb^, that ' it is 
really wiser and more prudent to show confi- 
dence in us, as you have done, than to mistrust 
and suspect us, I have expressed myself thus 
fully to you, because I am aware of the esteem 


94 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


you enjoy among your fellow-citizens, and I 
hope you will tell them what I have said, for I 
am sure it will be doing a service to them as 
well as to us.” 

When he had finished these words, he 
arose, and, with his two officers, bade us good- 
night, and retired. 

I must confess that the long harangue of the 
Austrian commander had made me shudder, 
especially when I heard him speak of hiding- 
places, of the way soldiers have of finding them 
out, and the kind of indifference that officers 
feel about ferreting out those who rob them. I 
trembled for the safety of our hiding-place up- 
stairs, and repented that I had urged Madame 
Dietry to put her valuables in it; and as I had 
helped to conceal them, it seemed to me as if 
I should become responsible for the crime, 
should they happen to be stolen, and, in some 
sort, an accomplice to the theft. I communica- 
ted my thoughts to the Abbe David, while feli- 
citating him for the way he had acted, which 
had drawn forth such praise from the Austrian 
commander. He listened to me with his usual 
benevolence and calmness, until I had finished, 
and then, looking at me with a playful smile full 
of good nature, he said, “ How unsophisticated 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


95 


you are, my young friend, and how easy it would 
be to take advantage of your want of experi- 
ence ! Here you are taking the alarm from 
what this Austrian officer has said ; ready, to 
all appearance, to advise Madame Dietry, and 
all those who have hidden their valuables here, 
to take them away at once, with the seeming 
idea that they will be safer in the keeping of the 
good faith of strangers, than walled up in the 
solid masonry of our chapel. What the com- 
mandant says may be true from his view of the 
case ; it is better, as he said, not to seem to dis- 
trust them, but, while showing them a certain 
amount of confidence, I don’t think it would be 
prudent to carry this too far. I am willing to 
admit that he is sincere in what he says, and 
speaks without concealment; I will even go 
further, and admit that the discipline of the 
Austrian army is admirable, and that the small- 
est offenses even are severely punished ; unfor- 
tunately, however, France is not invaded by the 
Austrians alone, who are influenced by political 
views in treating us with moderation, for their 
sovereign’s daughter shares the throne of 
France; but the allied army is made up of 
Russians, Swedes, Prussians, Bavarians, Saxons, 
and others, who all have their revenge to grati- 


96 THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 

fy, and who have no motives for forbearance, 
except, perhaps, the fear of provoking a general 
uprising of the people. How do we know how 
soon we may have a visit from the forces of 
some one of these other nations ? You may 
be sure, it is better to act always with circum- 
spection ; as for myself, if I had it to do again, 
I should do just as I have done.” 


Chapter V. 


THE DESCENDANTS OF THE ESTERHAZYS. 

The events which had transpired so rapidly 
in the last few days had hardly left me time to 
think of my own position. The night after the 
dinner with the abbe, I had slept but little, my 
mind being overburdened with sad reflections 
and memories of the past as well as the fu- 
ture. My mother, from whom I was separated 
by a distance of over three hundred miles, 
doubtless needed my presence near her during 
such a crisis as that through which we were 
passing ; I was equally anxious to be with her, 
but how was I to manage it? I might possibly 
accomplish it if I could reach, by some by-road 
with which I was acquainted, that part of the 
country which was as yet unoccupied by the 
enemy ; but could I leave Madame Die try, while 
her husband was still away, leaving her alone 
with her daughter and servant-girl, in a large 
house, which it was almost certain would be 


98 THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 

taken to lodge soldiers in ? After all the kind- 
ness that I had received from this family, would 
it not be mean and ungrateful to abandon 
them at such a moment ? 

On the other side, every moment of delay 
only increased the obstacles which prevented me 
from joining my mother. In a few days, every 
road would be occupied by foreign troops. How 
could I think of undertaking such a journey, 
alone, on foot, and at that season of the year ? 
I was forced then to remain here indefinitely. 

These reflections occupied my mind, as I 
have just said, during most of the night, and I 
did not fall asleep until toward morning. When 
I woke up, I went out to try and dispel my sad 
preoccupations. It was one of those nasty, 
foggy mornings of December, more calculated 
to depress my spirits than to relieve them. I 
walked, nevertheless, for some time in the street 
distractedly, when I came upon the Austrian 
battalion, which the commandant was inspect- 
ing in a little square. The sight of these for- 
eign uniforms redoubled my bad humor, and I 
returned to the house more sorrowful than when 
I left it. I found Madame Dietry as low-spirit- 
ed as I was myself. She handed me a letter 
addressed to me, and bearing the stamp of the 


THE ADVENTURES OR A CASKET. 


99 


mayor’s office. It was a requisition for me to 
go and work in the office, and to spend the 
next night there. “ This, then,” said I, “ con- 
firms the information which I received yester- 
day ; these gentlemen have not lost any time.” 

“ What is it all about said she. 

I handed her the letter, telling her what 
Monsieur Bernard had said to me the evening 
previous. 

“ I must confess,” said she, “ that the mayor 
is not very thoughtful. He knows that I am 
alone, that my husband is away on public ser- 
vice, and he requires that the person who is 
charged to replace him shall assist day and 
night in his office. He can do nothing worse 
than to send soldiers to lodge in my house.” 

She had hardly finished speaking, when there 
was a ring at the door-bell. The servant who 
went to open the door returned at once quite 
alarmed, and announced that there were two Aus- 
trians at the door, with an order to be billeted 
in the house. “ Oh ! this is too much,” said Ma- 
dame Dietry; “receive them, sir, I beg of you; 
have a room prepared for them in the same part of 
the house which you are in ; make any arrange- 
ments you choose ; I will retire, I do not wish to 
see them ; I am afraid of them I” She retired 


lOO 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


at once to her room, leaving me in a state of 
great embarrassment. I went to receive the 
new arrivals, who were in the anteroom. One 
of them was an officer of Hungarian hussars, 
the other a soldier, who seemed to be a servant. 
On seeing me, the officer handed me the billet 
for quarters, which was addressed to Monsieur 
Dietry, and Loquerisne latine?'' (“Do 

you speak Latin T) I answered him in the af- 
firmative ; he seemed delighted, and commenc- 
ed to speak with so much volubility and such a 
strange accent that I could hardly understand 
him. I begged him to speak more slowly, 
which he did, and, thanks to the lesson in pro- 
nunciation which I had received. the evening 
before from M. Hirtsch, I understood him per- 
fectly. He informed me that he commanded a 
detachment of eight hussars, charged with the 
duty of bearing the orders of the commandant ; 
four of his men were in constant attendance 
upon that officer, ready to carry his orders wher- 
ever it might be necessary ; the other four were 
off duty half the time, and were lodged with 
their horses in the next house to ours ; but 
there was no room for him in that house, nor 
for his horse in the stable, and he had there- 
fore asked to be lodged in our house, as he knew 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. lOI 

that we had a stable where his horse could be 
kept. He begged that he might have a room 
fronting on the street, and that the door might 
be kept constantly open, as he was liable to be 
called upon at any hour of the day or night to 
receive or to send off messengers. 

After having given me this information he 
asked to be shown the stable. I went with him, 
and after seeing it, he said, “ It was a pity that 
it would not hold five horses; it is clean and 
more convenient than the one next door ; but 
it will easily accommodate three.” 

“ But then,” said I, “ where will the master 
of the house, the receiver of taxes (laying stress 
upon this word), stable his horses 

“ Ah ! the receiver then has horses ! Where 
are they ?” 

“ He is using them ac present in his ser- 
vice, and I am expecting his return every in- 
stant ; and I am somewhat astonished that they 
should have billeted you on us, with your horse, 
as all this is well known at the mayor’s of- 
fice.” 

“ Nothing was said to me about it ; in any 
event, there will be room enough for mine It 
is not likely, however, that I shall be here 
long; for I expect that we shall go to-mor- 


102 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


row to Roulans, which our advance-guard 
reached to-day.” 

The prospect of an early departure removed 
my objection. I showed him to his room, 
which appeared to suit him, and turning to his 
hussar, who had followed us closely, he ad- 
dressed him in Hungarian, and he retired im- 
mediately, returning in a few moments, bring- 
ing with him the horse of the officer, who went 
in person to superintend his accommodations 
in the stable. 

Monsieur Dietry had on hand a small sup- 
ply of hay and oats. The hussar filled the 
rack with hay and put some oats in the manger, 
and made up a good bed for the horse in the 
stable ; then, on the order of his officer, he 
stacked up several bundles of straw in one 
corner of the stable. 

“ There,” said the officer, “ is the bed of my 
soldier : you need not trouble yourself to fur- 
nish him with any other.” 

After having made all these little arrange- 
ments he said to me, “ A horseman ought al- 
ways to take care of his horse first ; after he has 
done that, he may think of himself. Now, that 
my beast has been provided for, I beg that you 
will have some breakfast got ready for me.” 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 1 03 

I sent word to the cook, and conducted my 
guest to the dining-room. The breakfast was 
soon served, and the table was set for three 
people. “ Is this third place for the wife 
of the receiver.?” said the Hungarian; “for if 
it is, it would be proper to wait for her before 
we take our seats at the table.” 

“ I rather think not,” said I, surprised at his 
courtesy ; “ for she is not at all well, and does 
not leave her own room.” “ Is this place for 
madame ?” said I to the servant. 

“ No, sir ; but as I saw three military men, 
I thought that they would need to be served.” 

I translated to him the girl’s answer, but he 
understood me to mean that I had given the 
order that the soldier would eat with us. 

The officer, who, until now, had seemed to 
me gentle and polite enough, suddenly changed 
his whole tone and manner. He turned red in 
the face, his eyes flashed, and then with a voice 
excited with anger, he said to me, “ For whom 
do you take me, sir.? Do you wish to insult 
me by making my hussar sit at table with me .? 
Do you know that I am a nobleman, that I be- 
long to the illustrious family of the Esterhazys, 
and that the man whom you would set at table 
with us, is only a slave, a serf of my father.? 


104 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET, 


And even if you could not recognize my quality 
as a gentleman, because it is not written on my 
face, you might at least have taken notice of 
rank, the signs of which are sufficiently indi- 
cated by my uniform. Are you so little learned 
in France with regard to military usages as not 
to know that a quarter- master ought not to sit 
at table with a common soldier 

I was completely stunned with this queru- 
lousness. I hardly knew whether to laugh 
or get angry with him. But as soon as I 
saw that his bad temper was real, not being in 
very good humor myself, I lost command of 
my own temper, and said to him that I did not 
understand why he should find fault with me 
for the very pardonable mistake of a servant, 
who did not know how to distinguish military 
ranks, and that as a true gentleman he 
should have made light of such a mistake, 
rather than get angry at it. 

“ What,” said he, striking his sabre violent- 
ly against the floor, “ do you mean to say that 
I am not a gentleman 

“ I say nothing of the kind ; I only say that 
you do not behave like a true gentleman.” 

“And you would, no doubt, like to give me 
some lessons on this subject It would be 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


105 


curious, indeed, to see a Frenchman, filled with 
extraordinary notions of equality; a Frenchman 
brought up in a school where the assassination 
of kings is taught; where nobles and priests 
are brought to the scaffold ; where all authority^ 
human and divine, is set at naught ; yes, it 
would be strange to see a Frenchman give les- 
sons in propriety and manners to a descendant 
of the Esterhazys !'’ 

By the time he had finished speaking, he 
had raised his voice to its loudest tone, and in- 
terlarded his language with a string of oaths. 
Madame Dietry heard the noise in her room, 
and sent her maid to see what was the matter. 
I told her it was nothing, and bade her go and 
calm her mistress’ fears. 

When the girl had retired, I said to him in 
a low voice, and quite calmly, “ Sir, I have 
never known any thing of the revolutionary 
school of which you speak, and which disap- 
peared from the soil of France with the reign 
of terror to which you have just alluded. 
It is no revolutionist who assumes to give 
you a lesson, but a French gentleman who re- 
peats that it is not proper even for a descend- 
ant of the Esterhazys to lose his temper as you 
do, without cause, and to disturb, by your loud 


io6 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


voice, the quiet of a sick woman, whose roof 
offers you hospitality. Now, sir, I have said 
what I wish, and if my language displeases 
you, I am ready to give you any satisfaction 
usual among men of honor, taking care es- 
pecially to produce no disturbance and to give 
no scandal.” 

He listened to me quietly until I had fin- 
ished, and what I said to him about my posi- 
tion as a gentleman seemed to calm him down ; 
but my conclusion was not at all to his liking. 

“ What, then, sir,” said he, but this time 
without raising his voice, “ do you mean to pro- 
pose a duel with me ? This is another French 
peculiarity that appeals to the sword for the 
slightest word. . Know, sir, that the laws of my 
sovereign expressly forbid me from sending or 
accepting a challenge, and I do not intend to 
break the orders of my emperor to please you.” 

“ You deserve praise, sir, for your deference 
to the laws of your country ; and since you are 
so obedient to them, it is to be regretted that 
there is none of them which forbids your being 
insolent.” On saying these words, I quit the 
room, closed the door, and left him to eat his 
breakfast alone. 

My exasperation can hardly be described. 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 107 

This was the first time in the whole course of 
my life that I had even given a challenge to 
any one, or ever offered any provocation to 
a living being, but at the moment, I had lost 
all control of myself. If it had not been from 
consideration for Madame Dietry, I should have 
carried to extremes my quarrel with the de- 
scendant of the Esterhazys, without thinking 
of the disagreeable or fatal consequences even, 
which my anger might have occasioned. 

Such, my children, is the effect of passion; 
it deprives us of the use of our reason, and ex- 
poses us to commit actions which often cause 
bitter regret, sometimes terrible remorse. 

I went out of the house without knowing 
where I was going, revolving in my mind the 
most sinister designs, when all of a sudden, on 
turning the corner of the street, I met the 
Abb^ David. It was my good angel, whom 
God sent me in the guise of this worthy eccle- 
siastic. He saw at once that I was troubled, 
and asked me what was the matter. I told him 
the whole story, without disguising any thing, 
of what had happened to me. He listened to 
me attentively, and then, in a paternal way, 
wEich so became him, his words full of sense, 
and tempered with moderation and amiability, 


io8 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


and with the authority of religion which he 
knew how to employ so appropriately, by de- 
grees he quieted my feelings and finally made 
me ashamed of what I had done. 

As soon as he saw me more amenable to 
reason, he said to me, “We must now take 
care that no further evil result from this mat- 
ter, especially as far as Madame Dietry’s quiet 
is concerned. I was just going to the mayor’s, 
to speak to him about the store-house for the 
forage. I will at the same time see the com- 
mandant, who is lodged with him, and ask him 
to change the quarters of this officer at once.” 

I was going to offer to accompany him, in 
order to ask the mayor to exempt me from the 
night service at his office until after M. Di^- 
try’s return, when we were interrupted by the 
sound of the Austrian drums beating the 
assembly, and of their trumpets sounding to 
saddle. At the same time, we saw men and 
officers, horse and foot, running in all haste to 
their quarters. We asked some of the people 
of the town who passed by us, if they knew the 
reason of this movement. They told us that 
they understood that the French were advanc- 
ing toward the place. The Austrian hussars, 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. IO9 

who had penetrated as far as Roulans, found 
that town occupied by a strong detachment, who 
fired upon them, and they returned in all haste 
to give the alarm. 

While we were receiving this information, 
and in less time than it takes to tell it, the 
Austrians had taken up their arms, and were 
mustering on the little square where I had seen 
them a few hours before under inspection. At 
the same moment, my officer of hussars at the 
head of his eight soldiers passed by us at a 
gallop toward the road to Besangon. He did 
not see me, or at least did not appear to. 

“ It is probable,” said the abbe to me, “ that 
you will not see him again to-night ; but let us 
go to the mayor’s, to find out exactly what is 
going on.” 

We were only a few steps off, and soon 
reached there. The poor magistrate was in 
great distress. Not only did he confirm the 
news which we had just received, but he told 
us that the French were advancing in force, 
and that the Austrian commander had resolv- 
ed to defend himself in the town. 

“ So you see,” added he, “that what I was 
most afraid of is going to happen : there will be 


no 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


a fight in our city. What a terrible misfor- 
tune for us !” 

The Abbe David tried in vain to quiet him. 
Finding that he could not succeed, we both 
withdrew. As I was going away, I said to the 
mayor, “ From what is going on, I suppose you 
will hardly have need of my services to-night.’’ 

No,” said he, “ I wished you to assist in dis- 
tributing the requisitions among the different 
communes; but the commandant told me, as 
he was leaving, to suspend this work for the 
present.” 

“ I should think so,” replied I, smiling ; “ for 
if the requisitions were filled, the French would 
get the benefit of them.” 

I was far from experiencing the uneasiness 
of the mayor. 

I returned home much gayer than when I 
went away. Madame Dietry, who had heard of 
the precipitate flight of the Austrians, felt her- 
self relieved from a great weight, as she told 
me, although she felt as I did, that we should 
soon see them back again. She could not help 
laughing at the haste in which the officer had 
quitted the table without even stopping to 
finish his breakfast. 

She asked me the particulars of the quarrel 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


ttl 


which we had had, and^ which had caused her 
so much alarm. When I told her the story, 
she could not get 9ver the frivolousness of the 
cause which had provoked it, or of the aristo- 
cratic touchiness of the self-styled descendant of 
the Esterhazys. How, indeed, was it possible 
for a man '\yho really belonged to that noble 
family to carry the spirit of caste to such a 
foolish extent ! 

“It is true,” said she, “ that in that country^ 
as in Poland and Russia, the serfs are still re- 
garded by the nobility as hardly human beings. 
But let us forget our illustrious Magyar, whom 
we shall probably never see again, and tell me 
what it was that caused our guests to depart so 
suddenly.” 

I told her what I had heard, taking care 
not to inform her of the fears of the mayor. 

“ But do you not think,” said she, “ that 
they will have a fight 

“ Not likely,” said I. “ Now that the French 
are returning in force, the Austrians will va-^ 
cate the place, until a contrary movement shall 
bring them back. There may be some shots 
fired, on one side or the other, for form’s sake 
merely ; but I have no idea there will be a seri- 
ous engagement ” 


1 12 THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 

“ May God grant it ! for the very thought of 
it makes me tremble. But if there is no fight- 
ing, I shall not be sorry to see the French 
come back, if only for a short time, as I may 
perhaps get some news of my husband.” 

“ But perhaps, madame, you may see him- 
self ; for if the French come as far as this, the 
road will be completely open for his return.” 

“ You are quite right. How this hope re- 
stores me ! You seem to give me a new life, 

. . . . and to restore my appetite,” added 

she gayly. “ Come, let us go and breakfast, in 
place of the noble Esterhazy. . . . Aglae, 

come, my daughter, let us breakfast with Mon- 
sieur de Villette, and thank him for the good 
news which he has just given me.” 

“ What news, aunt 

“ That we may soon perhaps see your uncle 
back again.” 

“ O what happiness !” cried Aglae joyous- 
ly. And we sat down to breakfast, feeling bet- 
ter than we had done for many days. 


Chapter VI. 


ARRIVAL OF MONSIEUR DIETRY. 

We were finishing our meal and were en- 
joying the good humor of Agla6, who did not 
cease to repeat, “ If my uncle will only come 
back before New- Years day, to give me my 
presents, and hear me recite the beautiful com- 
pliment which my aunt has taught me !” when 
the cook came in, in great alarm, and said to us, 
“ Do you not hear the noise of the musketry ? 
There is fighting on the road to Besangon. I 
have just heard it at the well, and from the 
kitchen I distinctly heard the firing.” 

We listened attentively, but heard nothing. 
I opened the window, and then heard some dis- 
tant sounds, very indistinct. “ If that is the 
report of musketry,” said I, “ it is a long way 
off, and not very rapid.” 

Just as I was going to shut the window, 
platoon-firing was distinctly heard much closer 
by, and a rapid fusilade followed immediately, 
coming nearer and nearer. 


1 14 THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 

“ It is too true,” said Madame Dietry, “ there 

is fighting in the town We were too 

gay just now. Merciful heaven ! what will be- 
come of us 

“ Madame, keep calm, I beg of you : go to 
your room with Mademoiselle Aglae. I will 
go up to the top of the house, where there is a 
lookout in the direction of the Besangon road ; 
I will be able to see what is going on, and will 
let you know.” 

Above all, sir,” exclaimed Mademoiselle 
Aglae, “ do not take it into your head to leave 
us, as you did the other day, to run after the 
soldiers ; for if you do, our treaty of peace will 
be broken, and we will resume hostilities.” 

“ Do not be uneasy, mademoiselle, I will not 
go out without your leave.” I took a spy-glass 
and went up to the look-out. The fusilade was 
still going on, and was only momentarily inter- 
rupted to be. renewed with greater effect. The 
smoke in the direction whence it came pre- 
vented me at first from distinguishing any 
thing ; but at length the firing slackened a 
little, and I saw that the Austrians had closed 
the entrance to the street, by a sort of barri- 
cade made of carts and wagons, with pieces of 
wood and plank, thrown across them. About 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. I15 

/ 

two hundred men were intrenched behind this 
barricade, and it was from them that proceed- 
ed the firing which I had heard. Other troops 
were stationed in the gardens and houses ad- 
joining on both sides of the principal entrance, 
to prevent their position from being turned. 
The French, whom I could not see, were firing 
from the vineyards, and replied vigorously to 
the guns of the enemy. Without being much 
of a tactician, I could easily see that all this 
work was more noisy than effective, and that it 
might go on a good while longer, without doing 
much harm to either side. 

Just as I had come to this conclusion, I no- 
ticed two flashes through the smoke which hung 
over the road ; at the same instant, the planks, 
logs, and carts of the barricade flew in every 
direction, and I heard the explosion of two 
heavy cannon. At the same moment, there 
was quite a movement among the Austrian 
soldiers behind the intrenchments ; five or six 
of them had fallen wounded by the splinters ; 
the others commenced to fly, when I distinctly 
saw the officers, with the flat of their sabres, 
drive them back to their places ; but a second 
discharge of artillery more terrible than the 
first put them completely to rout. This time 


Il6 THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 

the officers did not even attempt to stop them, 
and they were borne along with them in the 
rout. Those who were placed on the right 
and left flanks in the gardens and houses has- 
tened to rejoin their flying comrades. As soon 
as the Austrians had commenced to retreat, the 
French soldiers scaled the barricade and pur- 
sued them. They had two drums with them, 
which beat a charge which I heard distinctly. 
At this sight, I could not help crying out 
“ Bravo, comrades !” and clapped my hands as if 
they could hear me. A bend in the street soon 
shut the combatants out from my sight. The 
firing had ceased, or was only heard at long in- 
tervals ; but the tumult increased every minute, 
and the continued beating of the charge an- 
nounced that friends and enemies had both en- 
tered the town. I hurried down from my ob- 
servatory, and gave an account of what I had 
seen to Madame Dietry. “ Now,” said I, “ that 
the Austrians are completely routed, it is not 
probable that they will rally in the city, or that 
they will attempt any further resistance.” I re- 
turned to my room, whence I could perceive 
what was going on in the street. I saw the 
Austrians flying in the greatest disorder; a 
hundred paces behind them, I noticed five 


- THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. II7 

French voltigeurs, their faces blackened with 
powder, pursuing them hotly, while the two 
drummers kept on beating the charge most fu- 
riously. The soldiers loaded their muskets as 
they advanced, and fired upon the enemy at 
every favorable opportunity. 

I was expecting to see the rest of the batta- 
lions follow these five brave fellows, and was 
not a little surprised that they were alone in the 
pursuit of at least four hundred men. They con- 
tinued to harass them until they had left the 
town. The Austrians continued their flight, 
until they had rejoined several companies of 
their men on a small eminence called the Old 
Oak, which was made a rally ing-point. Our 
five voltigeurs and the two drummers returned 
quietly into the city, amidst the congratulations 
of the inhabitants, who offered them refresh- 
ments on all sides, and they soon rejoined their 
comrades. It seems that the French soldiers 
who numbered only about three hundred men, 
had halted at the entrance to the street ; but the, 
five voltigeurs and the two drummers, carried 
away by their impetuosity, had not heard the 
order and had continued the pursuit. As soon 
as the inhabitants learned that the French 
were quartered in the town, 'they hastened to 


Il8 THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 

supply them with bread and provisions ; they 
could not have been treated more kindly if they 
had been brothers just returning after a long 
absence ; no one seemed to remember that the 
enemy was near by, and that at any moment 
he might return in force. 

The remnants of the barricade which the 
Austrians had erected were removed outside 
the town, and with the addition of some barrels 
of earth, an intrenchment was constructed, sen- 
tries were placed, and the French were relieved 
from all danger of being surprised by the 
enemy, whose every movement was closely 
watched by the inhabitants themselves, who 
kept our soldiers informed. 

Nor did the Austrians themselves seem at 
all disposed to re-enter the town. They con- 
tinued to occupy their position at the Old Oak, 
as if awaiting reinforcements before undertak- 
ing any thing. The French, too, were in the 
same expectation, so that it was quite probable 
that the next engagement which might take 
place would be much more serious than any 
that had preceded it. 

Night came on without any change in the 
position of affairs. The town, no longer occu- 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. II9 

pled by the military, was quiet, but agitated in 
expectation of what might follow. 

I awoke the next morning betimes. I listen- 
ed attentively, expecting to hear the noise of 
fire-arms ; but to my great astonishment every 
thing was quiet. I arose, awaiting with impa- 
tience the coming day, that I might go out; for 
it was still so dark that I did not think it pru- 
dent to risk myself on the streets. 

At length, shortly after seven o’clock, the 
darkness of the night wore away (it was the 
thirty-first day of December) ; I went out into 
the street, and before long I heard the noise of 
fire-arms, but some distance off, and in the di- 
rection of the Belfort road. “Well,” said I to 
myself, “ if there is any fighting going on, it is 
outside of the city.” I hastened to the point 
where the French had taken up their quarters ; 
but there was nobody left there, and the barri- 
cade had disappeared. I learned, however, that 
the French, having been reinforced during the 
night, had divided themselves into two bands. 
One of them, guided by some of the country 
people who were familiar with the roads, had 
made a long detour for the purpose of surpris- 
ing the enemy in their position at the Old Oak ; 
the other, having destroyed the barricade, 


120 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


marched silently across the city, and took up a 
position on the Belfort road, to await the com- 
mencement of the attack by the first detach- 
ment, and then to advance to its support, and 
place the enemy between two fires. 

This manoeuvre turned out a perfect suc- 
cess, as we afterward learned. The enemy, ta- 
ken by surprise, did not even endeavor to de- 
fend himself, but had fled in every direction, 
and our soldiers took about a hundred pri- 
soners. 

I hurried back to carry home this good news. 
Just as I was going to open the door, I heard 
the rapid approach of a horse which seemed to 
follow me. I turned about and saw a horse- 
man enveloped in a large cloak, which conceal- 
ed his face ; when within a few paces, he check- 
ed his horse and dismounted, saying to me, 
“ Good morning. Monsieur de Villette, how is 
my wife T' 

It was Monsieur Dietry. I rushed into his 
arms; he embraced me with all the tenderness 
of a father, and repeated his inquiries as to his 
wife. 

“ She is well,” said I, “but your prolonged 
absence has greatly disquieted her, and if you 
had stayed away much longer, her health might 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


I2I 


have suffered ; but now that you are here, she 
will soon be well again.” 

The servant-girl was not much less surpris- 
ed than myself when she saw M. Dietry. “ I 
wdll hasten,” said she, “ at once to awaken ma- 
dame.” 

“ No, no,” said M. Dietry, “ let her sleep on.” 

“ Let her sleep, indeed !” said she ; “ she 
would drive me from the house if I were to 
play her such a trick as that.” 

And she ran off to arouse her mistress. 

The return of M. Dietry brought back joy 
to the household. It relieved me from great 
responsibility, and gave me at length the oppor- 
tunity of obeying the impulse of my filial af- 
fection, without exposing me to the reproach of 
ingratitude to my benefactors. 

That morning, breakfast was a scene of 
charming delight ; nobody could have supposed 
that we were in the midst of war, and that fight- 
ing was going on in the environs of the town. 
Madame Dietry told her husband all that she 
had done during his absence ; the part she had 
taken in concealing at the college the most va- 
luable of her effects, and the little fortune of 
Agla^. She spoke of what I had done in this 
matter, and of the care and trouble which I had 


122 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


taken to accomplish the object. Monsieur Di^- 
try approved of all his wife had done, and 
thanked me sincerely for the assistance I had 
rendered. He asked me all sorts of questions 
about the position of the hiding-place, if it was 
quite dry, so that there was no fear that the 
dampness might injure the papers which had 
been placed in it. He was satisfied with my 
answers to all his questions. 

Monsieur Dietry then told us all about his 
visit to Besangon, and the inconveniences he 
had suffered. He congratulated himself that 
he had not taken his wife and niece with him ; 
for the city was full of strangers; that be- 
sides the difficulty of finding suitable lodgings, 
if the siege was prolonged, there would soon 
be a lack of provisions, besides the danger of 
a bombardment, and of the attacks to which 
the city would be exposed from the enemy. 
Several officers of his acquaintance had advised 
him not to remain in the place, and to one of 
these, the aid-de-camp of General Marulaz, he 
owed the obligation of having been enabled to 
return to his family, thanks to the excursion 
which that general made in this direction. 

“Then,” said I, “General Marulaz is here?” 

“Yes,” said Monsieur Dietry, “ he is in com- 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


123 


mand of this expedition, which is only a re- 
connoissance undertaken especially to improve 
his young soldiers, and accustom them to 
fire.” 

And do you think the general will remain 
here long 

“It is likely he will remain all nighty 
but will return to-morrow morning to Besangon 
with his whole command ; not from any appre- 
hension of the enemy at present on the road, 
whom he is perfectly able to cope with ; but he 
is aware that another considerable corps is now 
crossing the mountains, and advancing in this 
direction to encircle Besangon from this side, so 
that if he should lose too much time in return- 
ing, he might be cut off. But in a few hours 
we shall know something positive as to what he 
has resolved upon ; for his aid-de-camp will be 
here to get the horse which he lent me.” 

“ How lent you V' said Madame Di^try, 
‘‘and what have you done with your own 
horses 

I sold them both, as I had no need of 
them at the moment ; and besides, I did not wish 
the Austrians to take them by force, in which 
case I should never have seen them again.’’ 

“ Then,” said I, “ if the descendant of the 


124 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


Esterhazys should come back this way, he will 
want to put his three horses in your stable.” 

“ What descendant of the Esterhazys are 
you talking about?” 

I told him of the quarrel I had had the 
evening before with the quarter-master of hus- 
sars, at which he was much amused. 

By the time breakfast was over, we heard 
the French drums beating a march. 

“ Here come our troops,” said Monsieur 
Di^try, “ let us go out and look at them.” 

This suited me exactly, and Madame Dietry 
and Aglae were anxious to go with us. 

“ I may not soon have another opportunity,” 
said madame to her husband, “ to see French 
soldiers, so let me profit by this one.” 

We went out to the little square of which I 
have before spoken, where the marching de- 
tachments were usually halted to receive their 
billets for quarters, which were then being dis- 
tributed to the soldiers, as if they had just come 
in from a neighboring station, and not from the 
pursuit of the enemy. 

The clang of trumpets soon announced the 
arrival of the cavalry and of the staff. 

The general dismounted at the house of a 
friend, a rich land-holder whom he had known 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 125 

a long time, and with whom he had served dur- 
ing the first years of the revolution. Mon. 
sieur Dietry invited the aid-de-camp who had 
loaned him his horse, to come and take up 
quarters with him. 

“ I can not,” said he, “ I must remain with 
the general ; but I will come this evening, and 
pay you a visit.” 

I noticed that the cavalry was much more 
numerous than that which Colonel Faudoas had 
commanded at the time of the first reconnois- 
sance made by him ; there were at least three 
hundred of them, and the prisoners taken in 
the affair of the morning had been captured by 
the chasseurs, and one of these detachments 
were now escorting them into the town. They 
were quartered at the college where they had 
before had their barracks, and with the excep- 
tion of the guard placed to watch them, the 
rest of the French officers and soldiers were 
lodged among the people of the town. 

After the chasseurs, followed the country 
wagons, carrying about fifty wounded, who were 
immediately taken to the hospital, and two 
others filled with muskets, sabres, cartouche- 
boxes, and bundles of cartridges taken from the 
prisoners. 


Chapter VII. 


CORRESPONDENCE THE RETURN OF THE AUS- 
TRIANS A VISIT TO THE COLLEGE BARRACKS 

THE HIDING-PLACE. 

I MADE up my mind to take advantage of 
the return of the French to undertake a journey 
to Orleans, but an unexpected occurrence put a 
stop to my plans. The courier, whose service 
had been interrupted for four or five days, had 
taken advantage of the French movement to 
resume his duties, and among the letters which 
he brought was one from my mother for me. 
You may imagine with what eagerness I 
opened it. 

She assured me, in the first place, of her 
good health. She was living, in a very quiet 
way, in one of the most retired streets of 
Orleans, where she was free from all noise. 
She never went out except to church, or 
once in a while to visit one of her friends. 
Thus she was quiet enough, and would have 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 12/ 

given herself but little concern about peace or 
war, if she had not feared that I might be 
exposed to dangers in consequence of the mis- 
fortunes which France was suffering. She was 
anxious to have me with her during this critical 
period ; but she was alarmed lest I might be 
compelled to enter the service, notwithstanding 
my exemption as the son of a widow. Every 
day, young men were forced to join the ranks 
who were fully entitled to exemption, some of 
whom even had procured substitutes. These 
were not enrolled, it is true, in the regiments ; 
but were obliged to serve in the National 
Guard, which was just as likely to be exposed 
to fight as the troops of the line. 

“ I have heard,” added this good mother, 
“ that on the frontiers where you are, they are 
not so strict in compelling service, and that it 
is easier to get clear oj it, either by changing 
your residence or passing over the frontier ; but 
do nothing without consulting Monsieur Die- 
try ; he is a man of great prudence, and will 
give you good advice, and he has for you all 
the tenderness of a father. Listen to him, 
and when you have come to any conclusion, 
try and let me know what it is. I will endea- 
vor to reconcile myself to it, and ask resig- 


128 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


nation of Almighty God. What a sad time 
when a mother is obliged to be deprived of the 
presence of her only child I” 

I showed this letter to Monsieur Dietry. 
“Well,” said he, “there is no room for. doubt. 
The danger which your mother alludes to is 
greater than she probably thinks. You could 
hardly remain long with her without being 
enrolled in the National Guard for home ser- 
vice at first, and then for some marching batta- 
lion. Here you have nothing to fear. The 
country is invaded, and the authority of the 
French government can no longer be enforced. 
Quiet her fears as to your position. Tell her 
that you are in no danger of a forced enroll- 
ment of any kind, and that you will remain in 
our midst, where you will be treated like one of 
the family.” 

I expressed my gratitude to Monsieur Di6- 
try, and told him that I would follow his 
advice. I wrote at once a long letter to my 
mother, and, my mind being at rest on that 
subject, I quietly awaited the order of events. 

The French departed the next day (the ist 
of January, 1814), they had announced ; but 
their departure was not followed immediately 
by the return of the Austrians, as we had 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


129 


expected. On the 4th of January, however, 
they arrived in force by three different routes. 
First, by the Clerval road, came our old ac- 
quaintances, the hussars of Esterhazy, and 
the infantry who had been so well treated at 
the Old Oak. The first only passed through the 
town without stopping ; the latter went immedi- 
ately to their old quarters in the college. At 
the same time, a second column, composed of 
dragoons and Hungarian grenadiers, debouched 
by the old Belfort road, a road which had been 
for some time abandoned, which was not in 
order, and which served only for local travel ; 
they followed the hussars, and marched on 
toward Besancon. 

So far it was supposed that we would be 
exempted from having any of them quartered 
upon us ; but, about two o’clock in the after- 
noon, a third column, two or three times as 
large as both the others together, arrived from 
a direction which we did not expect. They 
came down from the mountains by the way of 
Ornans, over a mountain road badly laid out, 
difficult at any season, and impracticable in 
winter. This column was a part of the corps 
commanded by Prince Louis de Lichtenstein, 
destined to invest Besangon. It was composed 


130 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


of cavalry and infantry, followed by artillery, 
which it had brought along, I know not how, 
over the frightful roads across the mountain. 
We were called upon to make immediate pro- 
vision in a little town, the population of which 
did not exceed twenty-five hundred souls, to 
lodge and feed this whole column, which 
amounted to more than three thousand men 
and twelve hundred horses. We were obliged 
to crowd the soldiers into the houses in tens 
and twenties and sometimes even thirty toge- 
ther. Notwithstanding the good discipline 
which the commandant had so much lauded 
during the dinner at the college, there was con- 
siderable disorder that night. More than one 
of the citizens was personally maltreated, and 
had to submit to the pillaging of all the stores 
provided for his family. 

The houses in which the officers were 
lodged had less to complain of On the arrival 
of the first column, a lieutenant presented him- 
self at M. Di^try’s house with a billet for quar- 
ters ; it was my old acquaintance. Monsieur 
Hirtsch. I presented him to Monsieur and 
Madame Di^try, who received him very gra- 
ciously, at which he appeared enchanted. At 
breakfast he showed himself very amiable, not- 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 131 

withstanding his rough voice, which quite 
frightened Mademoiselle Agla^. I acted as his 
interpreter ; for Monsieur Dietry, whose Latin 
was a little rusty, could not follow our conver- 
sation. I inquired about the commandant and 
Captain Mayer. He informed me that the 
commandant had been disgraced for having 
allowed himself to be surprised on the 31st of 
December. It was said that he was guilty of 
treason, and that he would probably be court- 
martialed. 

“ Treason !” said I, with astonishment. 

“ Yes, treason,” said he ; “ and the accusa- 
tion seems to be all the better founded, as he 
is a Frenchman, and many of the German 
officers were quite jealous of him. He was 
brought up in a French military school, served 
in the armies of Napoleon, and was, I think, 
a lieutenant in 1806 and 1807. Then he went 
into the Austrian service, where his promotion 
was rapid.” 

“ Then he first deserted his own flag, and 
the accusation brought against him now is only 
a just punishment for his first treason. But let 
us say no more about this man, whom I at first 
thought worthy of esteem, and whom I now 


132 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


despise. Tell me about Captain Mayer. Is he 
here 

“ Alas ! no. The poor captain was wound- 
ed in the affair of the 31st. He had his arm 
broken by a musket-ball ; but this did not pre- 
vent him from riding three or four leagues at a 
gallop to escape being taken prisoner, which he 
succeeded in doing, though the great fatigue 
made his wound quite dangerous, and he will 
probably have to suffer amputation.” 

“ So it is,” said he, with a sigh. “ Who 
knows but the same fate may be reserved for 
me ? These are the chances of war.” 

Lieutenant Hirtsch had been allotted the 
finest room in the house. A nice fire was 
burning in it, and when I led him to his room, 
he pressed my hand, and begged me to say to 
Monsieur and Madame Dietry that he had 
never regretted that he could not speak French 
so much as at that moment, in order to express 
to them in person his gratitude. 

When I delivered his message to Madame 
Dietry, Aglae said gayly, “ Well, well, that is 
not so bad for a Dutchman. See what it is to 
have breathed a little French air ! How soon 
it makes a man agreeable and gallant ! I am 
sure he would never get such notions on the 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


133 


other side of the Rhine. It is a great pity, 
however, that your Mr. Hirtsch has got such a 
sepulchral voice, and that his name is so much 
like a sneeze.” 

We all burst out laughing at this sally, 
and congratulated ourselves on having such a 
guest, whom we hoped we might keep some 
time. 

On the arrival of the column from the 
mountains, we were obliged to receive two 
other officers, a major and a captain, with ser- 
vants and horses. The two new-comers spoke 
French very well, though with a German 
accent. As soon as they learned that one of 
their officers was in the house, and that he was 
only a lieutenant, they begged me to notify him 
of their arrival. 1 went at once to inform Mr. 
Hirtsch of this circumstance. I found him 
lolling in a large arm-chair, smoking a huge 
wooden pipe, and regaling himself with some 
old brandy, a bottle of which had been placed 
on his mantelpiece. He seemed to be quite 
put out at the arrival of these gentlemen. He 
uttered a few der teufels and some tausendsy and 
took his pipe from his mouth with some anger. 
I begged him to explain the cause of his excite- 
ment, and wanted to know why he seemed to 


134 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


be SO disturbed by the arrival of his country- 
men. 

“You can not comprehend it,” said he; 
“ but I know too well that the message which 
these gentlemen send may be translated as fol- 
lows : ‘ Lieutenant, give up your room to us, and 
go and lodge wherever else you can.’ ” 

“ Do you really think they will do that ?” 
said 1. 

“ You will see.” 

We went down into the drawing-room, 
where I had left the officers. They were busy 
examining the next room, which Monsieur 
Di^try intended for one of them, but which was 
not as good as that of Mr. Hirtsch. 

“ Gentlemen,” said I to them, “ here is 
Lieutenant Hirtsch, who comes to present his 
respects.” 

. They turned around and made but a slight 
acknowledgment of the profound obeisance of 
the lieutenant. Their conversation with each 
other was in German, and they went together 
into the room which M. Distry had just shown 
them, and afterward the lieutenant showed 
them his, and they then returned to the draw- 
ing-room, where the Major said to Monsieur 
Distry, “ The lieutenant has offered me his 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 1 35 

room, which suits me nicely ; the captain will 
take the one which you have just shown us; 
Mr. Hirtsch says that he will go and lodge in 
the barracks.” 

“ But,” said I, looking at Monsieur Di^try, 
“there is still the room which the quarter- 
master of hussars occupied, and which will 
answer for Mr. Hirtsch.” 

“ That is already disposed of,” said M. Did- 
try, “ for the major’s secretary.” 

I went to look after the lieutenant, who 
was getting ready to go. “ I told you as 
much,” said he, as soon as he saw me. “ The 
presence of these gentlemen was a signal for 
me to get out that they might get in.” 

“ But, from what the major said, you offered 
him your room.” 

“ So I did,” said he, “ but only to avoid 
havmg it taken from me. You can readily 
understand that it would hardly be proper that 
a superior officer should occupy a comparatively 
poor room, whilst his subordinate should have 
a magnificent apartment in the same house.” 

“ I am quite put out at your departure,” 
said I, when I saw him, with his cloak on his 
shoulders, on the point of leaving ; “ and if you 
can not do better, I shall be very glad to offer 


136 THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 

you half of my bachelor’s quarters. A night is 
soon over, and you know the proverb, ‘ One 
must suit one’s self to the times.’ ” 

“ I thank you,” said he, pressing my hand 
warmly. “ I thank you, my fine fellow ; but 
what these gentlemen wish is, that I shall quit 
the house, and not occupy a seat at table with 
them. We do not belong to the same regi- 
ment, or even to the same division. They 
often have private matters to talk about, and 
a stranger, especially a subordinate officer of 
another corps, might embarrass them. I have 
no alternative but to submit to what I can not 
help. I will try and find the principal of the 
college who entertained us so handsomely the 
other day. Perhaps my little room is still 
empty; but, in any event, he will find some 
little corner in which he can spread a bundle of 
straw to make me a bed.” 

“ Well,” said I, “ I will go with you; and 
if you do not find a lodging there, you can 
come back with me to my room.” And so we 
went off together to the college. 

The sentry presented arms to the lieute- 
nant when we arrived at the door. Returning 
his salute, we noticed that the soldier did not 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 1 37 

belong to his regiment. He spoke to him in 
German, and the sentry answered briefly. 

“ He does not even know,” said he, “ if my 
detachment is here. I wonder if my soldiers 
have been turned out to make room for these 
new-comers.” 

He went into the yard. There were from 
eight to nine hundred men, Germans, Bohe- 
mians, Hungarians, Croatians, speaking, or 
rather screaming, each one in his own tongue. 
In the midst of this crowd Mr. Hirtsch no- 
ticed some of the soldiers of his regiment. 
He approached them, and learned that his 
detachment of three hundred men had not 
left the college, but that this establishment 
had just received, first, a battalion of Hunga- 
rian grenadiers; secondly, half a battalion of 
Bohemian sharpshooters; thirdly, three hun- 
dred Croatian infantry; and fourthly, three 
companies of Tyrolean chasseurs — in all, about 
eighteen hundred men, who, added to the three 
hundred of the lieutenant’s regiment, amount- 
ed to more than two thousand souls. 

“It strikes me,” said I to the lieutenant, “ that 
it is hardly worth while to importune the good 
abbe, and that you had better return to my 
room. But first I should like to see how they 


138 THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 

manage to lodge ten men where there is only 
room for one, and as I would hardly be per- 
mitted to make that kind of inspection alone, 
will you be good enough to act as my guide 

“ Most willingly,” answered the lieutenant, 
“ especially as I should like to know where my 
men have been quartered in the midst of such 
a medley.” 

We traversed the court, and found his three 
hundred men occupying the large and small re- 
fectories. An officer, one of the lieutenant’s com- 
rades, was busy at the moment in arranging 
them very much like herrings in a barrel. He 
had ordered some straw laid over the tiles of the 
refectory; on this his men were to lie in the 
same order which they occupied in their com- 
panies, with their heads along the wall, and their 
feet toward the middle of the room. Each one 
had his knapsack for a pillow. Two long ta- 
bles, parallel to each other, occupied the whole 
length of the refectories. By this arrangement, 
the space between the tables and the wall was 
filled with soldiers, whose legs stretched under 
the tables, which were also turned to good ac- 
count, and which were covered with mattresses, 
taken from the dormitories, destined for the 
subaltern officers as beds of honor. The space 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


139 


between the two tables remained vacant, so as 
to leave room to move about from one end of 
the room to the other. 

The officer who had superintended this ar- 
rangement spoke French. I complimented him 
upon the manner in which he had economized 
space. “ A naval officer,” said I, “ could not have 
done better.” 

“ But why have you not used the kitchen 
at the end of the large refectory.? You might 
have lodged there a considerable number#of 
men, which would have given some relief to 
these.” 

“ The kitchen,” said he, “ that is for our 
guard-room ; come and see it, I beg of you, and 
then tell me if you think it would be possible to 
lodge a single man there.” 

He preceded us, and opened the door be- 
tween the refectory and the kitchen. The suf- 
focating and nauseous air which escaped through 
it caused me to hesitate. Such a mixture of to- 
bacco-smoke, of broiling meat, of wet clothes 
put to dry, gave forth an indescribable smell 
enough to suffocate one. The sight which 
presented itself was curious to behold. 

In front of the great chimney, in which half 
a cord of wood was burning, was seated a 


140 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


crowd of soldiers ranged in a semi-circle ; every 
one had a pipe in his mouth; some of them were 
roasting their meat upon the coals, others were 
drying their overcoats and other garments of 
very doubtful cleanliness. 

The kitchen table was surrounded with a 
double circle of soldiers, some standing, some 
sitting, busy eating and drinking. Those who 
were standing up used their forks and spoons 
over the heads of those who were seated, very 
milch resembling the position of soldiers in fir- 
ing, the front rank kneeling on the ground that 
those behind may fire over their heads. 

Behind the table opposite to the fire-place, 
some thirty of them were lying down, a part al- 
ready snoring, and others smoking their exe- 
crable tobacco, without seeming to mind the risk 
they ran of setting fire to the straw on which 
they were lying. 

As soon as the two officers appeared, all 
those who were either sitting or lying down 
rose up except the sleepers ; the duties of the 
forks and spoons were suspended, and the pipes 
stopped exhaling their fetid smoke. The lieu- 
tenant addressed some words to a subaltern, 
who seemed to be the chief of the post : in the 
mean time I cast my eyes about, and noticed 


THE ADVENTURES OF -A CASKET. I4I 

the seats which these men had occupied, and 
which I had not observed until they got up 
from them. There were trunks, cases, and 
boxes of every shape and size, with now and 
then a bench or a chair. On seekag this 
strange medley, a sudden thought came into 
my head. Could they have discovered our 
hiding-place, and taken these things out of it.f^ 
A little reflection satisfied me on this point. 
If they had committed this theft, said I, they 
would hardly display their booty so pub- 
licly. 

We left this pestiferous apartment, and 
went through some other parts of the building. 
The class-rooms, the study-halls, the dormito- 
ries, and even the corridors were all in the same 
state of disorder. As we were going along, 
Mr. Hirtsch said to me, “ I thank you again 
for your kind offer; but I have just learnt that 
Captain Mayer’s apartment is empty, and that 
I might take it. I will go and inquire about 
it of the principal.” 

We went together and found the good abbe 
reading his breviary, just as quietly as if his 
college was still occupied by his students, and 
had not been invaded by more than two thou- 
sand foreign soldiers. 


142 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


After hearing the request of the lieutenant, 
“ The room is indeed vacant,” he said, “ but I 
am reserving it for Captain Ma3^er, who request- 
ed me, the other day, as he was going away, to 
keep it for him, and I have just told one of the 
officers of the troops which arrived this even- 
ing that it was occupied.” 

Mr. Hirtsch then informed him that the 
captain would not return on account of the ac- 
cident which he had met with. 

“ Then,” said the abbe, with his accustomed 
gentleness, “ you are Captain Mayer’s lieutenant, 
and as such are entitled to his place so far 
as the room is concerned, as well as at table 
and at the head of your company. So here are 
the keys of your room, which take possession 
of while I finish my breviary. And don’t for- 
get to come back in time for dinner, and if M. 
de Villette,” turning toward me,“ will make one 
of us, he will give us great pleasure.” 

“ Thank you,” said I, “ I will be very glad to 
help my patron entertain some of his guests.” 
And I bowed to the lieutenant as he was going 
out, making a sign to the abbe at the same 
time that I had something to say to him. As 
soon as we were alone, I communicated to him 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


143 


what I had seen in the kitchen of the college, 
and made known my suspicions. 

“ That is only another effort of your imagi- 
nation,” said he ; “set your mind at rest, noth- 
ing has been disturbed.” 

“ But,” replied I, “is it not possible that in 
the confusion which the gathering together of 
two thousand men would cause, some of them 
may have found their way to the top of the 
church without your notice 

“ It does not seem to me to be possible, but 
to convince yourself, let us go and see.” 

“It hardly appears to be worth while. Mon- 
sieur I’Abbe,” said I, “and since you are so 
sure ” 

“ That is hardly enough. I know you so 
well, and you may still have some doubts : so 
come along with me, disciple of St. Thomas, 
and see for yourself” 

He took me with him to the roof of the 
chapel, where every thing remained undisturbed. 

“ Now,” said he, “try and find the entrance 
to the hiding-place.” 

I looked for a long time, and after having 
carefully examined the whole face of the wall, 

I was satisfied that it was impossible to dis- 
cover any difference in any part of it ; but I 


144 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


pointed out the spot where I thought the open- 
ing had been. 

“ You are about a metre out of the way,” 
said he : “ take this cord and measure from the 
angle of the wall, until you come to a knot 
somewhere about the middle of it.” 

“ I have the knot,” said I, after having done 
what he directed me. 

“ Well, then, that must be just about the 
middle of the hiding-place; I have no other 
way of finding it myself : are you satisfied now 

I assured him that I hardly needed such 
proofs ; but whence then came all those trunks, 
boxes, and other things, which so roused my 
suspicions ? 

“ There is nothing so remarkable about 
that,” said he, “ in a house like this, where there 
is always a quantity of such things out of use, 
which are put one side and forgotten. There 
was a loft over the wood-house where such 
things were kept, and the soldiers who went for 
wood have no doubt found them, and caused 
you this alarm.” 

My fears were entirely removed by this ex’ 
planation, taken together with what I had seen. 
And I went back home quite relieved from my 
anxiety on this subject. 


Chapter VIII. 


THE AUSTRIAN COMMISSARY THE SCHLAGUE 

ORGANIZED PILLAGE NEWS OF THE WAR. 

The next day all the troops that had ar- 
rived by the mountain road marched off 
toward Besangon ; but they were replaced by 
others about equal in number, and for three or 
four days these arrivals and departures went on 
without interruption. At length, when these 
troops had taken up the positions assigned to 
them, to complete the investment of Besangon, 
on the right side of the river Doubs, we had a 
little rest. 

The head-quarters of Prince Lichtenstein, 
who commanded the corps employed to be- 
siege Besangon, was established at Grand- 
Vaire, a town situated on the left bank of the 
Doubs at the foot of Mont Laumont, about 
ten kilometres from the city, and twenty from 
Baume. 

A garrison of seven or eight hundred men 


146 THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 

was stationed in our town, a part of which was 
lodged in the college, and the rest among the 
inhabitants, who, exhausted by the numbers of 
the last few weeks, could no longer supply their 
new guests with food. Provisions had there- 
fore to be distributed among the soldiers, and 
store-houses were established for provisioning 
all the troops engaged in the siege on the 
right bank of the Doubs. The magazines for 
the troops on the left bank were established at 
Ornans. 

A commissary, half civil, half military, took 
up his residence at Baume, charged with 
organizing the magazines, and with the issuing 
of requisitions upon the towns of the district. 
He established himself at the sub-prefecture, and 
expected to get the assistance of the employees 
of the office ; but he found none — only an old 
man quite deaf, and a young errand-boy about 
fifteen years of age. He called upon the mayor 
and demanded that he should be furnished with 
clerks. The mayor in his turn called upon 
me, and this time there was no escape for me. 

Thus it was that I became the chief clerk 
of the Austrian commissary, having for my as- 
sistants the old deaf employee, whom I have 
just spoken of, and the little errand-boy; after- 


' THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 147 

ward I was furnished with two assistants, one 
the clerk of a lawyer, the other of a notary. 
We five completed the French force of the 
office ; the German part consisted of three 
Austrian soldiers with a sergeant at their head^ 
who spoke and wrote French perfectly ; he it 
was who acted as intermediary between the two 
departments, and I will do him the justice to 
say, that from the very first he did all he could 
to render our relations agreeable and lighten 
the burden of our service. 

Notwithstanding his obliging disposition, I 
felt quite a repugnance for this man. The 
remembrance of the commandant who was a 
French deserter, was ever before me, and I 
could not persuade myself that this sergeant, 
who spoke our language so well, and whose 
name of Fresnel was so entirely French, was 
not also a deserter from our army. 

Being a little curious on this subject, after 
a few days’ acquaintance, when I had become a 
little more familiar with him, I asked him from 
what country he came, as I could not imagine 
he was a German, in consequence of the purity 
of his accent. 

“ Perhaps you think me a Frenchman,” 
said he, smiling. 


148 THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 

“ Well, the idea has often come into my 
head.” 

“ I am neither a German nor a Frenchman,” 
said he ; “I am Belgian.” 

“ Then you are a Frenchman, since Bel- 
gium belongs to France.” 

“ Yes, I am a Frenchman, just as the Poles, 
who fight in the French ranks, with the hope 
of one day obtaining the independence of their 
country, are Russians or Austrians. Listen, 
for a moment, to my history, and then decide if 
you can properly call me a Frenchman. When 
the republicans first conquered Belgium, and 
the National Convention declared the country 
reunited to France, the Belgians were not 
consulted ; the whole of them, at all events, did 
not acquiesce in the loss of their nationality, 
and these have never consented and never will 
consent to become Frenchmen. My father — 
for I was then only eight or ten years of age — 
my father was one of these ; he was attached 
to the household of the Archduke, the Gover- 
nor of the Netherlands. He retired to Vienna 
with him ; and though I have always continued 
to speak and to study French, which is my 
mother-tongue, I have never ceased to long for 
the independence of my country and to see 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 149 

her freed from the French yoke. And my hope 
in taking up arms to-day in the Austrian ser- 
vice is, that this war may result in driving 
France back to her old limits, and in giving 
back independence to those nations whom she 
has unjustly and violently united to her em- 
pire. 

“ Austria never dreamed of making us 
either Austrians or Germans. She left us our 
laws, our customs, our language, in a word, 
every thing that constitutes our distinct na- 
tionality. France, on the contrary, had no 
sooner invaded us than she overturned every 
thing ; she commenced by destroying our old 
territorial divisions, and blotted out their names 
from the map. 

She suppressed our laws and our cus- 
toms to impose upon us the French Code ; 
she subjected u's to the same imposts, direct 
and indirect, as the rest of France ; finally, she 
forced upon us her system of conscription ; in 
a word, she left us nothing that had been ours, 
not even our name, in order to amalgamate us 
more completely with the French empire.” 

Though I did not agree with all these ideas 
of Fresnel, I could not but admit that there 
was a good deal of truth in what he had said. 


150 THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 

and I felt within myself that, if I had been born 
a Belgian, I should have thought and reasoned 
just as he did. From that moment, I ceased 
to feel any repugnance toward him, and gave 
him my sympathies. He was well instructed 
and capable — above all, full of feeling and well 
disposed. The attachment which grew up be- 
tween us lasted a long time after the occur- 
rences which had given it birth. 

Hitherto, I have said nothing about the 
principal personage, the chief of the expedi- 
tion, who bore the title of Imperial Commis- 
sary and Intendant of His Majesty’s Armies, 
the Baron Wolf. His name was significant, 
and fitted him exactly. It would have been 
difficult - to find a worse man. He was sullen 
and grasping. He always spoke to us peevish- 
ly and as if in anger. Although he expressed 
himself well in French, except as to his accent, 
which was decidedly German, he rarely address- 
ed us in that language ; he gave us his orders 
in German, which were translated to us by 
Fresnel in his presence. He listened atten- 
tively to the interpretation, and if he did not 
think it suitably conveyed his idea, or that he 
had used an improper term, he would recom- 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


15 


mence the translation himself, which he always 
rendered with precision and exactness. 

One man alone possessed the gift of ap- 
peasing him, even in the midst of his greatest 
fury. This man was Fresnel. I know not 
what mysterious control he exercised over him ; 
but it is sure that this wolf was turned into a 
lamb by a single look from the Belgian, with 
the addition of a few words which we did not 
understand, spoken in a low and quiet voice. 

Thanks to my intimacy with Fresnel, and 
to the knowledge which I had of the popula- 
tion and wealth of the district, I was enabled 
to prevent many acts of injustice in allotting 
the requisitions, which the commissary often 
did himself in an arbitrary way, and according 
to an old table which he had found in the office 
of the sub-prefecture. I was also enabled to 
render some services to individuals, by which I 
was somewhat compensated for the vexations 
which I was subjected to as an Austrian clerk. 
My occupations at the office kept me employed 
the whole day, and I hardly saw the family 
except at meal-times. Almost every day, under 
the pretense of examining the condition of the 
forage store-house, I paid a visit to the col- 
lege, and satisfied myself that our hiding-place 


52 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


had not been molested. I redoubled my atten- 
tion whenever there were any changes in the 
garrison. At the end of a fortnight, the de- 
tachment of Lieutenant Hirtsch was ordered 
off to the field ; it was replaced by a battalion 
of Tyrolese chasseurs, who were followed by a 
body of infantry. These changes took place 
once in ten or fifteen days, during the whole 
three months that the investment of Besangon 
lasted, and every one of them redoubled my 
anxiety for our treasure. My tranquillity was 
more than ever disturbed by hearing from time 
to time that various hiding-places in the town 
had been discovered and pillaged, and that the 
authors of these acts had in no case been dis- 
covered. Once or twice, some soldiers were 
detected with watches and jewelry in their pos- 
session, which had evidently been stolen. 
The commissary, who acted also as provost, 
took charge of the property, and ordered the 
soldiers on whom they had been found to re- 
ceive five and twenty blows with the Schlag,^ 
In spite of myself, I had to witness the inflic- 
tion of this punishment, which, barbarous as it 


* The word Schlag, in German, means a blow ; it is also used 
to designate the stick {Stock) which is used for this military pun- 
ishment. 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


153 


is, has been kept up in the Austrian army, and 
which is dealt out for the slightest faults, as 
well as the more grievous ones ; the only dif- 
ference being in the number of blows, which 
varies from five to fifty, and sometimes a hun- 
dred. 

The punishment took place in the college- 
yard, precisely at the hour when I was in the 
habit of inspecting the forage store. Fresnel, 
whom I met, informed me of what was going on, 
and invited me to be present. I allowed myself 
to be influenced, partly not to refuse him, and 
partly from curiosity. There were three prison- 
ers, and six corporals were provided to do the 
work. At the first blows, the victims uttered 
stifled groans, but some cried out piteously, 
which painfully affected me. I could not bear 
the sight, and turned away, followed for some 
time afterward by the groans which so excited 
my pity. 

When I next saw Fresnel, he laughed at 
what he called my sensitiveness. “ I was like 
you at first,” said he ; “ but one gets accustom- 
ed to it, and now it makes no impression on me ; 
there seems to be no other way of managing 
the Austrian soldiers. Extra duty or imprison- 


154 the adventures of a casket. 

merit, such as are adopted in France for such 
cases, would have no effect on them/’ 

“ It gives one,” said I, “a low estimate of the 
degree of civilization of a people which has to 
be governed by such means as those ; but 
there is so much to be said on such a subject 
that I prefer not to discuss it.” 

The fact is that, though the soldiers were 
thoroughly schlagued for the thefts they had 
committed, the stolen property was never re- 
turned to the rightful owners. Baron Wolf 
took good care not to have them hunted up ; 
the stolen goods remained in his possession, 
and were finally forgotten. He carried them 
away with him to Austria, no doubt with the 
intention of returning them some day or other, 
if any body should go there to reclaim them. 

This want of delicacy on the part of Baron 
Wolf is as nothing compared to his conduct 
in the administration of the office which had 
been confided to him, the organization of which 
was his own work, which was carried on by 
him without any control. The style of ac- 
countability that he had established seemed to 
be intended to cover up his malfeasances. 
The fact is, that he was in the habit of au- 
daciously robbing the storehouses, the districts 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 155 

on which he made his levies, and even the sol- 
diers themselves. He had for accomplices a 
considerable number of the officers of his army, 
and, I am ashamed to say, some Frenchmen, 
whom he had appointed as store-keepers. A 
miserable soldier, who might have stolen a 
shirt or a handkerchief, was punished with 
severity ; but these gentlemen seemed to have 
no fears in ruining whole families or even en- 
tire communities ; not so much by pillaging 
them in the ordinary sense of that word, as by 
an organized system of despoiling, the effects 
of which were even more disastrous. More 
than once the country people, finding their 
cattle driven off, their goods and all their pro- 
perty taken from them, and themselves reduc- 
ed to despair, had taken to the woods, and 
banded themselves together as guerrillas 
against the foreign soldiers. There is no 
knowing what misfortunes might have resulted 
if the occupation had lasted much longer. 

These matters were a frequent subject of 
confidential conversation at Monsieur Di^try’s 
house, and the future seemed more and more 
threatening. Cut off from all communication 
with the interior of France, we knew nothing 
of what was going on ; we had only heard that 


156 THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 

the emperor had stopped the advance of the 
allies in Champagne, and that with a handful 
of men he had gained several signal victories 
over them ; but on the other hand, we were in- 
formed that fresh masses of the enemy were 
crossing the Rhine every day, to reinforce 
their ranks, decimated in battle. 

At length, in the month of March, an ex- 
traordinary movement was made by the Aus- 
trian army ; almost all the troops of the garri- 
son left us, leaving only such as were absolute- 
ly necessary to guard the place. 

Soon there arrived over cross-roads where 
troops had never passed before, a whole army 
corps, coming from the neighborhood of Lan- 
gres, and marching toward the frontiers of 
Switzerland by the mountain road ; there were 
cavalry, infantry, and numerous artillery, with 
endless convoys of caissons and baggage-wa- 
gons. 

A retrograde movement was evidently 
going on, but we could not tell whether it was 
a serious retreat or only a feint. The dejected 
air of the Austrian officers, and especially the 
change which had taken place in General 
Wolf — who had almost grown amiable — in- 
clined us to the first of these opinions. 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


157 


I finally made up my mind to speak to 
Fresnel about it, although I had taken particu- 
lar pains not to talk politics with him since the 
day when he had given me his views on the 
reunion of Belgium with France ; but I asked 
him, with an appearance of as much indiffer- 
ence as I could assume, what this extraordinary 
movement of troops meant, and why they 
should be withdrawn from the interior, and 
why the garrison of the town had been reduced 
to such an insignificant force. 

“ And do you not know,” said he, “ what is 
going on 

“ How could I know ?, We receive neither 
letters nor papers, and you gentlemen were not 
likely to give us much information on such a 
subject.” 

“ Why not.f^ For my part, if you had asked 
me, I should have told you all that I knew, 
except what my superiors might have communi- 
cated to me under the seal of secrecy. I have 
noted with especial interest the progress of 
this campaign, from which I hoped for results 
which I have already indicated to you. Cer- 
tainly no one can be more desirous than I am 
to have the allied armies succeed ; but that 
does not prevent me from sympathizing with 


158 THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 

France in her misfortunes; for I like the 
French, though I have no wish to become a 
part of that nation. I do not like Napoleon, 
but I admire him, and I feel that at this moment 
he is greater than when, two years ago, he was 
marching against Russia at the head of an 
army of five hundred thousand men. As com* 
pared to him, I tell you, between ourselves, our 
Commander-in-chief Schwarzenberg, the Prus- 
sian General Blucher, and all the rest of them, 
are only so many pigmies. 

“After the battle of Leipsic, when Napo- 
leon returned to France, he no longer had an 
army ; and if they had wished to pursue him, 
nothing could have prevented them from reach- 
ing Paris as soon as he ; but they did not dare 
do it. Instead of moving onward, they stopped 
for two months and a half on the banks of the 
Rhine, and thus gave to Napoleon all the time 
he needed to organize a new army. 

“ Finally the allies crossed the Rhine and 
advanced, feeling their way into the interior of 
France, where they at first met with no serious 
opposition. They had already reached the 
banks of the Maine ; and the army of Silesia, 
under the command of Blucher, which had tra- 
versed Alsace, Lorraine, and a part gf Cham- 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 159 

pagne, had established communication with our 
grand army commanded by Schwarzenberg. 
These two armies, more than three hundred 
thousand strong, were in the very heart of 
France. Their advance-guard was not more 
than forty leagues from Paris, when Napoleon 
left the capital and marched out to meet 
them. 

“ Certainly he never would have undertaken, 
with fifty or sixty thousand men at the outside, 
to fight against such tremendous odds, if he 
had had to meet their whole army ; but these 
three hundred thousand men were scattered 
over a considerable extent of country, and 
Napoleon was enabled to attack them sepa- 
rately. 

“ He first fell upon the army of Silesia, 
which he overcame at Champ-Aubert, at Mont- 
mirail, and at Vauchamp. In these three 
engagements, which took place from the loth 
to the 15th of last February, he cut the army 
of Silesia into several parts, broke up their 
communications with the army of Schwarzen- 
berg, caused them a loss of twenty-five thou- 
sand men, with the greater part of their artil- 
lery and baggage. 

“ Whilst Bliicher — completely beaten — was 


l6o THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 

retreating in disorder, Napoleon, without loss 
of time, turned upon Schwarzenberg, who was 
advancing through the valley of the Seine, and 
on the 1 6th of February he defeated him at 
Guignes, and the next day at Montereau. In 
these two engagements the Austrians and Rus- 
sians lost seventeen thousand men. Schwarz- 
enberg was compelled to beat a rapid retreat, 
and fell back to Troyes, followed closely by 
Napoleon, who entered that city just as the al- 
lies had abandoned it 

“ This succession of victories determined 
the retrograde movement which is going on 
even here. I have even been told that the 
allied sovereigns, assembled in a council of war 
at Bar-sur-Aube, had almost decided to fall 
back to the other side of the Rhine ; but it 
seems that they gave up this pusillanimous 
notion, and that fresh troops have been ordered 
forward to reinforce Bllicher, and enable them 
to recommence offensive operations. Counter- 
orders have already reached us here to suspend 
the retrograde movement of our army ; and it 
looks to me as if, this time, it will be very diffi- 
cult for Napoleon, with all his genius, to resist 
successfully a force ten times as numerous as 
his own. But, for all this, it is no less certain 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. l6l 

that his campaign has been a wonderful suc- 
cess, and that he has shown himself greater 
than in any of the Italian campaigns which he 
carried on when he was General Bonaparte. 

“ As to the departure of the garrison from 
here, it was made necessary in consequence of 
the movement of Augereau’s army, who has 
advanced from Lyons to Jura, to Lons-le- 
Saulnier, and to Poligny. It was feared that 
he intended to raise the siege of Besancon, and 
all the troops have been sent out to meet him 
that could be spared from the siege. But Au- 
gereau has already fallen back, and our soldiers 
will return at once to resume their position. 
Napoleon’s lieutenants, however, do not give us 
much concern. As to him, it is a different 
affain His presence alone at the head of an 
army is as good as fifty thousand men.” 

I had listened with great attention to the 
recital of Fresnel, especially to his praise of Na- 
poleon, which, in the mouth of an enemy, was 
free from suspicion. I hastened to communi- 
cate what I had heard to Monsieur Dietry, and 
we talked over the matter with great serious- 
ness till quite late in the evening. 


Chapter IX. 


THE DEPARTURE OF THE AUSTRIANS PEACE 

OPENING OF THE HIDING-PLACE WHAT GOD 

GUARDS IS WELL GUARDED. 

After this, Fresnel frequently informed me 
of what was going on. The hopes which had 
been raised by the last victories of Napoleon 
were soon dissipated. While he was advancing 
in pursuit of Schwarzenberg to Vitry-le-Fran- 
gais, the army of Silesia, reinforced with more 
than fifty thousand fresh troops, was marching 
directly on to Paris. In the mean time, Lyons 
had opened her gates to the enemy. Welling- 
ton, at the head of an army of Englishmen, 
Spaniards, and Portuguese, was occupying 
Bordeaux. The emperor retraced his steps to 
cover Paris ; but, on reaching Fontainebleau, 
he learned that that city had capitulated, and 
that the allied sovereigns had made their 
entrance into it on the 2d of April. The trea- 
son of one of his lieutenants delivered him 
defenseless into the hands of his enemies. He 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 1 63 

abdicated, and, from being a little while before 
the arbiter of Europe, the commander of num- 
berless armies, he is banished to a little island 
in the Mediterranean, with eight or nine hun- 
dred men of his guard who remained faithful to 
his fortunes. At the same time, the Bourbons, 
exiled for nearly twenty-five years, are recalled 
to the throne of France, and sign a treaty of 
peace with the allied sovereigns. Such was 
the end of the bloody drama which had been 
going on for so many years. 

One after another, these bits of news reached 
us in the beginning of April. The allies had 
shown no generosity, and the peace which they 
had forced the Bourbons to sign was humiliat- 
ing ; but it was peace at last, and was accepted 
by the people with joy. 

Our communications were soon reopened. 
I received letters from my mother, who was 
anxious to see me as soon as possible, and I 
informed her that I should hasten to her side 
as soon as the work of the office could be reor- 
ganized. 

The army which had been besieging Besan- 
gon left in its turn. Fresnel did not desire to 
return to Austria; he remained in France for 
some time, and then removed to Belgium. 


164 THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 

Ever since we have kept up a correspondence 
with each other. 

After the army had withdrawn, thirty thou- 
sand men belonging to the different foreign 
corps having passed through the town on their 
way to the frontier, and when we were finally 
relieved from our friends^ the enemy ^ as we call- 
ed them, the moment was at hand when the 
hiding-place could be opened with safety, and 
its treasures restored to their owners. 

The Abb6 David was desirous of making 
this occasion one of some solemnity. He in- 
vited all who were interested. A mason, who 
was in attendance (for there was no longer any 
dread of the presence of strangers), was set to 
work, and with his pick and spade he soon ef- 
fected an opening large enough to allow two 
people to pass. 

“ Come, Monsieur de Villette,” said the 
abbe, “ you were the last one who entered there, 
and your effects must be the nearest to the en- 
trance, and will have to be removed before the 
others can be got at.” 

I passed at once into the hiding-place, and 
took out Madame Dietry’s two trunks. 

“ And the casket asked the aunt and niece 
in the same breath. 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 165 

“ Here it is,” said I, coming out with a lit- 
tle box in my hand. 

“ But that is not my box,^’ said Madame 
Dietry, “ mine is not so elegant as that.” 

“ It is mine,” said Madame Bracieux, “ and 
in proof of it, I have here the key.” Saying 
which, she opened the box, and making a hasty 
survey of its contents, she added, “ There is 
nothing missing, and the contents are in per- 
fect order.” 

In the mean time, I had returned into the 
hiding-place with a lantern, and made a minute 
search into every corner. I could find nothing. 

In despair, I came out, and found Madame 
Dietry a good deal alarmed, and Aglae’s eyes 
quite wet with tears. 

We examined the space over the arches, 
in every direction, and all left only when it be- 
came evident that further search was useless. 
Madame Dietry was the object of much sympa- 
thy from those who were present, who all ex- 
pressed their feelings to her as they took their 
leave. 

As soon as we were alone, the Abbe David 
questioned me closely as to my recollection. 
Unfortunately, I was not clear, and could give 
no account of the manner in which the trunks 


l66 THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 

had been carried from the house of Madame 
Di^try to the church-roof. All that I could re- 
call with precision was that I firmly believed 
having seen the casket in the place from which 
I had taken the box of Madame Bracieux. 

The three lads, who had accompanied me, 
were also interrogated, but their memories seem- 
ed to be no better than mine. One of them, 
however, had a vague remembrance that he had 
seen a kind of box in my hand when I left Ma- 
dame Dietry’s parlor ; but he had not seen it 
while we were on the way to the college ; the 
darkness of the night was a sufficient reason 
for this. The other two remembered nothing 
at all, except that after having taken some deli- 
cious cordial which Madame Dietry had offered 
them, they felt themselves overpowered with 
sleep. 

“ And did Monsieur de Villette also drink 
some of that cordial asked Monsieur Dietry. 

“ Just as we did.” 

“ What was that cordial ?” asked Monsieur 
Dietry of his wife. 

“ It was some of our fine cordial from the 
islands. The night was cold and damp, and I 
thought it would warm them up.” 

Madame,” joined in the abbe, “your in ten- 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 1 6 / 

tions were no doubt very good ; but you did not 
think of the effect which would be produced. 
The fact is, and I now remember it quite dis- 
tinctly, those young people reached my house 
in such a state of torpor and drowsiness 
that they were of very little use to me, and 
I was obliged to send them to bed. It is, 
therefore, fair to conclude, as the result of 
this investigation, that on the way from your 
house hither the casket must have dropped 
from the benumbed hands of Monsieur de Vil- 
lette without his noticing it. But how or where 
neither he nor I can tell. Has it fallen into 
the hands of some of the people of the town, 
or into those of the Austrians ? None of 
us can tell. If by chance it has fallen 
into honest hands, we may perhaps find it by 
advertising for it ; but this is very doubtful, 
and I only make the suggestion for what it 
may be worth.” 

I will not attempt to describe my own feel- 
ings. I did not dare to show myself to any of 
the family, and for a whole day I kept myself 
shut up in my room, a prey to the most violent 
despair. At last, after having turned over in my 
mind a thousand impracticable projects, my eyes 
rested upon a crucifix hanging over my bed ; at 


1 68 THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 

once, and without reflection, I threw myself 
upon my knees and began to pray. I prayed 
long and fervently, and while praying more 
with my heart than with my lips, an indescrib- 
able feeling came over me, and a sort of joy 
entered into my soul. 

When I arose from my knees, my feelings 
had undergone an entire change ; God had in- 
spired me with a firm and determined resolu- 
tion, and I went at once to make it known to 
Monsieur Dietry. 

I found him alone in his library, and said to 
him, Sir, my negligence and heedlessness 
have been the occasion of a very considerable 
loss to yourself and to your niece. It is my 
duty to make it good. I am going at once to 
Orleans, where my mother is waiting for me. 
The first thing that I will do after my arrival, 
will be to realize from my own property an 
amount equal to that of which I have caused 
the loss. If that is not sufficient, I know that 
my mother will not hesitate to make up what 
may be deficient. I shall leave in the morning 
very early ; present my respects to Madame 
Dietry and to her niece ; they will neither of 
them see me again until I shall have repaired the 
mischief which I have done.” 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


169 


“ Have you fully reflected, my friend,” said 
M. Dietry to me kindly, “ on what you say to 
me r 

“ Thoroughly, sir, and my resolution is not 
to be shaken.” 

“ But, my dear sir, I know the extent of 
your fortune ; it consists principally of real- 
estate, and at this time the value of such pro- 
perty is very much impaired.” 

“But I have told you that my mother will 
assist me.” 

“ I understand that ; but your mother is not 
any better off than yourself; and would you 
deprive her, at her age, of a part of her income 
barely sufficient to meet her necessities .f*” 

“ But I am young, sir, and will take care 
that niy labors shall prevent her from undergo- 
ing any privations.” 

“ But, my friend, you are still a minor, and 
are unable, from that fact, to carry out any of 
your projects.” 

That is true, but this is the loth of May; 
on the loth of next July I shall have attained 
my majority, and I beg you to believe, sir, that 
in that time, my resolution will have undergone 
no change.” 

“ Very well ; if at that time you are still of 


170 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


the same mind, we will see about it. But I 
must say that your resolution does you great 
honor, and that you are offering a noble repa- 
ration for an involuntary fault. As for myself, 
I tell you in advance that I will accept nothing ; 
as to my niece, the matter is different I am 
her guardian, and must look to her interest. If 
when you shall have attained your twenty-first 
year, you shall still persist in your resolution, I 
will act as a guardian ought to under such cir- 
cumstances, in reference to his ward. But I 
enjoin you not to sell your lands ; for you can 
not do so now at a fair price ; draw your obli- 
gation for the amount, secured upon your pro- 
perty, and that of your mother, if she consents, 
and make it payable when Aglae shall become 
of age, or when she shall marry, if she should 
do so before that time.” 

“ If you think such a course sufficient, I 
will follow your advice.” 

After this interview, I felt quite relieved, 
and I made my preparations to depart at three 
o’clock next morning ; for I was to take the 
stage from Strasbourg to Besangon, which ar- 
rived at Baume at that hour. 

Just as I had finished packing my trunk, 
the servant-girl brought me word that Monsieur 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 1 71 

and Madame Di(§try wished to see me in the 
parlor. As soon as I made my appearance, 
Madame Di(!try said to me, How is this, Mon- 
sieur de Villette, that you could think of leav- 
ing us without saying adieu either to me or to 
poor Aglae, who is very much disturbed at the 
idea of your departure.!^ Is the misfortune 
which has happened sufficient to break up all 
the bonds of friendship which unite us ? Have 
you apprehended that I could utter a word of 
reproach against you ? If so, you do not know 
me ; for far from having a thought of reproach- 
ing you, I feel nothing but the kindest sympa- 
thy.” 

Madame, I appreciate your great kindness 
toward me ; it was not from any feeling of in- 
gratitude that I preferred leaving without see- 
ing you. Monsieur Di^try should have ex- 
plained the motives ” 

“ He did,” interrupted Madame Di^try, 
smiling. “ He told me that you were a big 
baby full of heart, and has informed me of your 
intentions in regard to Agile’s affairs.” 

“ And I,” said Agla^, in her turn, with the 
same pettish tone of former times, “ I declare 
that I do not approve of any of your fine pro- 
jects. I regret only one thing ; the chain and 


1/2 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


pretty little gold watch which my uncle gave 
me. If Monsieur de Villette will buy me an- 
other as near like it as he can, I will ask him no- 
thing more, and will forgive him all the rest.” 

“ Happily, mademoiselle,” answered I, you 
are not of an age to decide such a matter in a 
way so much against your interest” 

‘‘Nor you either, for my uncle has told me 

so.” 

“ That is true, but I shall be in two 
months.” 

“And I in eight years; and eight years 
hence I will refuse every thing as I do to-day, 
except, be it well understood, the watch and 
chain.” 

“ Many things may happen in that time,” 
said her aunt ; “ in the mean while, let us wish 
Monsieur de Villette a pleasant journey.” 

Five days afterward, I was at my mother’s 
side. Oh ! how happy she was to see me again 
after so long an absence, so full of painful inci- 
dents. “ God be praised !” cried she, “ I may 
now indeed sing with holy Simeon, '‘Nunc di- 
for I see my son once more, and wit- 
ness the return of our legitimate kings, who 
have brought peace and my child together.” 

My mother, as is evident, was a thorough 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


173 


royalist, and her maternal affection was some- 
what confounded with her political sympathies. 

Notwithstanding all the tenderness with 
which I responded to my mother’s greeting, she 
did not fail to notice that some profound emo- 
tion was troubling my mind, and with that sweet 
solicitude which only a mother’s heart can feel, 
she inquired into its cause. I told her, even to 
the minutest details, of all that had happened, 
and of what I had determined upon to repair 
the misfortune I had caused. 

She listened to me attentively, and after a 
moment’s reflection, she said to me, “ My child, 
you have done well in deciding as you have 
done, and I thank you for having concluded 
that I would be willing to join you in such an 
act of justice. There was no other course to 
take, and there was nothing to hesitate about. 
You have done just what your father and mo- 
ther would have done, had such a misfortune 
happened to them. You can not but be satis- 
fied in your conscience, and I do not see why 
you should be grieved about it. It is quite a 
loss, I admit, but the loss of money is not irre- 
parable, and we must try some way of remedy- 
ing it. I have now powerful protectors connect- 
ed with our legitimate princes, and am satisfied 


174 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


that I shall be able to obtain, by their influence, 
a lucrative position for you, by means of which 
you will be enabled to repair, with system and 
economy, the gap you have made in your patri- 
mony.” 

These words of my mother completely re- 
stored my peace of mind, and I waited with 
perfect tranquillity for the time when I should 
he able to realize my projects. 

On the nth of July, when my twenty-first 
year was fully accomplished, I went to a notary 
and requested him to draw up a paper in the 
direction indicated by Monsieur Die try. 

A draft was prepared, to be approved by 
him, prior to final execution ; but in order to 
bind myself positively, I signed it before sending 
it to him. By the return of the post, I receiv- 
ed the following answer, inclosing the paper, 
destroyed. Here is the letter of Monsieur 
Di^try; I have kept it as evidence of a very re- 
markable fact, which might be regarded as a 
fable, if it were not authenticated by credible 
witnesses. 

“ I return you your paper in pieces, as null 
and void. ‘ Nonsense ! ’ you will say ; ‘ how can 
Monsieur Marteau, one of the first notaries of 
Orleans, draw papers which are of no effect?’ 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


175 


God preserve me from such an idea ! read 
through to the end, and you will know why the 
aforesaid act is absolutely null, and is not worth 
as much as a cabbage-leaf.” 

I must confess that this opening quite puz- 
zled me, and I was in a hurry to finish the bal- 
ance of the letter. 

“ After your departure from Baume, I had 
bills posted throughout the town, and in various 
portions of the district, announcing the loss of 
a little box, with a description of it, and the 
promise of a large reward to any one who 
would return it. I published notices of similar 
import in the newspapers of this and the neigh- 
boring departments. All that I got out of it 
was the expense of my posters and advertise- 
ments. So we made up our minds to be resign- 
ed, and said no more about it. 

“ About a fortnight since, the college was 
reopened, after having been scrubbed from the 
cellar to the garret. Yesterday, my wife sent 
her servant-girl on some sort of an errand to 
the Abb6 David. On her way back, she went 
by chance into the kitchen to talk to the cook. 
The conversation naturally turned upon the loss 
we had sustained, and she remarked that it was 
very unfortunate that while every body else had 


176 THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 

hidden away their property without losing a 
pin, her master and mistress should have suffer- 
ed such a heavy loss. 

“‘Your box must have been very small, 
then,’ said the cook, ‘ that it could thus be made 
away with without its being discovered by any 
body.’ 

“‘Not so yery small. . . . It was of 

pretty good size,’ and, casting her eyes about 
the kitchen ; ‘ there,’ said she, ^ about as big as 
that box in the corner. O heavens ! ’ riveting 
her eyes upon it, ‘ I do believe — God forgive 
me ! — that that is our casket ! ’ 

“ ‘ That ! ’ said the cook, laughing ; ‘ your 
casket must have been a nice one ! Why, that’s 
an old box which has been used by the Aus- 
trians to black shoes on, and to put their feet 
on, and has had all sorts of hard usage ; from all 
appearances, they have even tried to burn it, for 
a part of the lid is all charred ; and that’s what I 
propose to do with it myself one of these days ; 
for it is so dirty, and so completely covered with 
grease and blacking, that I should not care to 
touch it with the tongs, and it is fit for nothing 
but the fire.’ While the cook was talking, the 
servant-girl had made a closer examination. ‘ I 
begin to think that it can hardly be the casket,’ 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 


177 


said she, lifting it up by the handle ; ‘ but it is 
locked ; it is heavy. . . . If it should really 

turn out to be madame’s casket? Will you let 
me take it away with me ? ’ 

“ ‘ Quite willingly ; although you will only 
be doing wrong by raising false hopes at home.’ 
The servant-girl did not wait twice for the per- 
mission ; she hurried home from the college 
with the box in her hand. 

“ ‘ See here, madame,’ said she, ‘ what I have 
just found.’ And she fell into a chair, quite out 
of breath. 

“ At the first glance, my wife recognized her 
casket, in spite of the filthy coat which covered 
it. She had the key of it on a little bunch 
which she always carried with her. Pale and 
beside herself, she hastened to open it. . . . 

Every thing was intact — in the same order as 
when she had locked it up ; she emptied it out ; 
not a jewel, not a coin, nor a bank-note was miss- 
ing. She screeched out to me at once ; she 
called for her niece ; we hastened to her. . . 

I leave you to imagine our joy, our happiness. 
Agla6 danced about like a crazy girl, and with 
tears in her eyes, kissed her watch and chain 
I wish you had been present at the scene. 

“ I hastened to write to you of this joyful oc- 


178 THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 

currence ; but my letter was not finished when 
your dispatch reached me, inclosing the famous 
paper which I send back to you. Do you now 
understand why this act is absolutely void, with- 
out detracting in any thing from the merit of 
Monsieur Marteau, your notary ? But, if this 
writing has no value as an act, it still has a great 
one in our eyes, as an authentic proof of your 
fidelity and delicacy. 

“ And now, my wife requests me to ask 
a favor of you. She wishes to celebrate with 
a fete the unlooked-for and despaired-of re- 
covery of a considerable part of her niece’s 
fortune. But this fete wpuld not be complete 
without you; she counts upon your presence, 
and hopes further that your mother will be able 
to assist at it. The journey at this season can 
not fail to be of service to her, and we shall 
all be delighted to have her spend some time 
with us.” 

I had to read over this letter several times, 
so much was I overcome by my feelings. 

When my mother was informed of its con- 
tents, she embraced me over and over again, 
with tears of joy. “ Thank God, my child, for 
this favor ; this is the first thing to do.” 

And we both knelt down and made an act 


THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 1 79 

of thanksgiving to our Lord for this signal be- 
nefit. 

As soon as she had composed herself, she 
said, “ I will certainly accept the invitation of 
Madame Di^try. I shall be happy to resume 
my acquaintance with that estimable family, and 
to see the famous casket which has caused you 
so much trouble and uneasiness.” 

We finally set out for Baume at the begin- 
ning of August, and as we traveled by short 
stages, we did not arrive at our destination until 
the 12th. You may imagine the reception we 
met with. 

The fete was charming. Among the invit- 
ed guests were all those who had had their valu- 
ables in the hiding-place. The Abbe David 
occupied the place of honor, at the right of 
Madame Di^try. At the dessert, there was 
placed in the middle of the table the casket 
which had been so miraculously preserved ; it 
had been washed and cleaned, and was filled 
with flowers and fruits of the season. Every 
one spoke of the story of the vicissitudes and 
dangers to which it had been exposed, during 
the four months that it had spent in the guard- 
room, through which so many thousand soldiers 
had passed, not one of whom had been tempted 


l8o THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 

to open it, though it might so easily have been 
done with the point of a sword or a bayonet, or 
even with a knife. All sorts of remarks and 
lots of jokes at my expense followed each other 
in rapid succession. 

“ O gentlemen !” said Madame Di^try, “ do 
not run Monsieur de Villette too hard ; he has 
paid dear enough for a moment’s heedlessness, 
which was quite excusable at his age, especially 
under the circumstances in which he was 
placed, and he has nobly made amends for it.” 

You are quite right, madam e,” said the 
Abb6 David, “ the only further reflection which 
this extraordinary circumstance suggests is that 
which I made to you when you consulted me 
first upon the security of hiding-places. I told 
you then, and repeat it again to-day, Wkat God 
guards is well guarded^ After that, nobody 
bantered me any more, except Mademoiselle 
Agla^, who continued to tease me more than 
ever. But I afterward got my revenge. 

“And how, my dear papa.f^” said one of 
Monsieur de Villette’s grandchildren, “ how did 
you revenge yourself on Mademoiselle Agla6 T 

“ By marrying her,” replied the old gentle- 
man, laughing. “ Yes, my children, the playful, 
teasing little Agla6, whom I have so often men- 


THE- ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. l8l 

tioned in this story, is now your venerable 
grandmother.” 

“ But,” said one of the students, “ mam- 
mas name is not Aglae ; her name is Mary ; 
and we always celebrate her feast on the 15 th of 
August.” 

“ That is true ; but when she was a child, 
she was called Agla^, a name given to her, I 
know not why, and which was too mythological 
to suit her, and so she dropped it, to resume 
the beautiful name of Mary, which had been 
given to her in baptism.” 

“ But you told us, a little while ago, that she 
was only thirteen years old; do people get 
married at thirteen 

“ No, my child, but during her residence at 
Baume, which lasted more than a month, my 
mother. Monsieur and Madame Dietry, spoke 
of this union as a project which might be ac- 
complished at a later period, if it should then 
be agreeable to the parties concerned. 

“ And in fact the marriage did take place 
five years afterward ; at which time I was twen- 
ty-six, and little Aglae had grown up to be Ma- 
demoiselle Marie Dietry, a young lady of eigh- 
teen, and quite sensible. 

Among the wedding presents, alongside 


1 82 THE ADVENTURES OF A CASKET. 

of the bride’s corbeille figured the famous cas- 
ket. It contained the dowry of the youthful 
bride, increased by the care of her guardian, 
which had brought it up to eighty thousand 
francs ; and besides, the same silver service and 
the same laces which had been in it during its 
occupation of the Austrian guard-room. This 
was one of the bridal presents which Madame 
Dietry made to her niece. She added to it a 
superb lace vail, embroidered with my coat-of 
arms, with this motto, which I have ever since 
adopted, Wkai God guards is well guarded. 


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